Those Mindnumbingly Boring Days
by Sir sleeps-a-lot
Summary: There comes a point in your life where you just know what'll happen tomorrow or the day after that. Life just becomes this boring routine that you go through over and over and over... Well, you get my drift... I won't lose hope though, because there's always a little sparkle somewhere which shines through the tedium.
1. And so, the boredom begins

**Okay, I know I should be writing more Damn that Guy! chapters, but a weird mixture of feels and inspiration hit, spawning this little story... Well. not that little.**

**I previously posted this story as 'I Have a Voice, you know!' but I decided against that title. Now, this story is called 'Those Mindnumbingly Boring Days'. It still follows canon, like how I'd planned, but It'll end after Chihiro's original conquest. I'll probably make a sequel, if I get the time and the motivation, where it'll continue on from there.**

**Honestly, one of the issues I have with myself is that I never finish any of my multi chapter fanfiction, so I decided to only start posting this as soon as I'm finished. As of last night, I finally finished this 30 Chapter monstrosity, so I'll post it up now, one chapter a day.**

**Now, just a warning... I really tried my hardest to keep Chihiro as close to her canon counterpart, but of course, there's also a whole lot which is up for interpretation, so I'll probably go off track. If you think I did it wrong, leave a comment for me and I'll try to fix it.**

**Now that the boring stuff is over, let's get back to the more boring stuff.**

* * *

_The whole world was blank, like a sheet of paper. As far as I could see, there wasn't anything in sight, other than my colourless self._

_Still, there was some purpose I was here for. I was waiting for something…_

_I wonder what…_

I snapped out of my strange daydream when a ball of paper ricocheted off my head and onto my desk. I quickly opened it.

'Introduce yourself, you idiot!' I quickly looked up, and the whole class and Nikaido-sensei were watching me. I quickly stood up.

" Uh… yeah… My name is Chihiro Kosaka. Pleased to meet you all."

I tried to think of something witty to add, but finding nothing, I sat back down. I really hated introductions on the first day of school, because I never had anything interesting to say at all. I wasn't in any clubs and my hobbies of reading magazines and looking at cute guys really wasn't something I could really mention in class. Though this was the first time I'd ever gone into a daze so early on in the day… It was weird.

Still, I don't think I cared much today. Usually, I'd try to make a good impression, but there weren't even any cute guys in my new class. They ranged between ugly to just passable, so I really didn't care what they thought.

On that note, I really hated my new seat. It was near the back, which wasn't too bad, but I was hoping to be by the window, so I could watch the other classes (and cute boys) while they have gym outside. It's too bad about that. Then again, being four seats away from the door has its own advantages...

"Katsuragi Keima…" Nikaido-sensei called, which broke through my thoughts. Whoever that student was seemed to have no intention of introducing themselves, but Sensei would not have that. She walked to him and put her hand on his shoulder, silently threatening him. I guess my seat is actually quite good, because he sits on my right just in front of me. If the teacher's gonna have a huge freak out, I have a really good seat to watch that.

I couldn't really see who this student was, but he obviously had a lot of guts, because he still didn't stand up and introduce himself. What happened after this really surprised me, because Nikaido-sensei literally lifted the boy up by his collar and dragged him to the front of the class. This was getting pretty good. I should've brought popcorn.

At the front of the class, Nikaido-sensei put him down and made him introduce himself.

"I'm Keima Katsuragi. Unless you're part of the 2D world, don't bother me." He said sullenly, not looking up from his gaming device. I was amused by his idiocy, but there's no way Nikaido-sensei would be. Her eyes look like they're twitching. She put out her hand in front of him and cleared her throat.

"Let me save at least," Katsuragi said in monotone. She seemingly allowed it, because he handed her the console a moment later and he walked smugly back, his hand unsubtly closed around something.

Seeing that he was seated quite close, I was looking just in time to see him pull out an identical console from his bag and put whatever was in his hands into the back. Wow, he's a real idiot. Just because he has an extra doesn't mean Sensei won't confiscate it. I grinned... I guess this seat isn't that bad at all. I get a first hand view of this guy getting his games taken away from him.

I wonder if being an otaku just makes you an idiot… Dad always seems to think so.

Introductions went through as they do every year, so I was bored silly. I was looking forward to class being over so then I could go to the convenience store and get some snacks.

I dunno… It's kinda sad that that's the most interesting thing in my life now… food…

Actually, my close friend, Ayumi is here. She was the one responsible for that note, after all. I looked at the note in my hands, with her slanted, but still neat handwriting and smiled. Even after all these years, she still looks out for me.

Last year, we weren't in the same class, but in middle school and elementary school, throwing notes was really a common thing for us. I grabbed a pen out of my bag.

'Thanks for that… I was bored out of my mind.

Even though I'm an idiot, I'm pretty sure that Katsuragi guy is worse; coz he brought out another game now.'

I hissed Ayumi's name and lopped a note over while Nikaido-sensei was writing on the board. Ayumi caught it easily.

She chucked it back a few seconds later.

'You don't kid. Apparently he's been doing that for ages. I guess he's called Otamega for a reason. I'm pretty sure he's gotten enough consoles confiscated that all the staff could play at once."

Now that I think about it, I wouldn't be surprised. If this guy plays so much that it got taken on the first day, there must be a whole collection of games in the staff room. What's up with Otamega though? That's the first time I've heard that nickname. Then again, I don't think I've met him yet, so that makes sense. I scribbled and chucked.

'Otamega? Sounds like some battery company. I wonder who thought that one up. Anyway, I wanna go to the convenience store after school. Do you want to come?'

I waited impatiently, tapping my nails on the desk. The sound was way too loud. It's probably time to file my nails down. Then I saw a ball land on my desk.

'I'm surprised you haven't heard of it. Apparently, Katsuragi got glasses in middle school, and since then, his nickname upgraded from Otaku to Otamega. He's been playing games from before middle school even. That sounds like fun, but they're starting F&amp;T already so I'm going to have to pass. Sorry ;'('

It twinged a little bit. I wasn't in Ayumi's class last year, but I had tried out for Track and Field as well so I could hang out with her, but it was too much hard work and most of the other members beat me anyway, so it felt pointless. I wish I could endure as much as Ayumi can. I guess it's always been a bit of a sore point that Ayumi was so much more hardworking than me.

'Hee hee, you little do-gooder. It's fine. I don't mind. Still, could I get you a snack and bring it to you at F&amp;T? My treat, coz you saved me from getting in trouble…'

I waited till Sensei had her back towards us before launching it to Ayumi. Luckily, Ayumi didn't look back, because I had no idea what my face looked like, but I knew it wouldn't be pleasant. I hated how easily my mood could change.

I tried to think happy thoughts of puppies and chocolate, and that worked. My souring mood went back up by the time the note was back in my hand.

'OOOOHHH! You'd do that? In that case, can you get me some chips? I've been needing some extra carbohydrates.'

Before I could reply yes, the note was snatched off my desk by an irritated looking Nikaido-sensei, so I counted my blessings that I didn't get detention and called it a day for note passing. I can always hang out with Ayumi after club.

I decided to pay attention to the board now, but as we were only getting briefed about the new year and who our teachers were, now seemed like a good time to zone out. For me, any time was a good time to zone out anyway.

Looking around the class, everyone seems kind of blah and normal. What stuck out like a sore thumb was probably the pink-haired girl who was sitting in the back. She seemed pretty cute, but she'd probably look better without the glasses.

Well, this year, I want to make more friends. It would be a good idea to hang out after school and introduce myself to some of the new faces.

After the Opening Ceremony, I was ecstatic to be out of that stuffy hall. Man, am I glad that it only happens once a year.

While I was walking out, someone greeted me. I'd seen her face before but I couldn't put a name to it.

"I'm sorry, do I know you? I know I've seen you before, but I don't remember your name," I said sheepishly. She laughed, not insulted at all.

"Yeah, I'm in your class this year, but I just transferred in from another school. My name is Hiroko Matsumiya. You're Kosaka-san, right?"

Oh, that explains a lot. I felt a little guilty for being so inattentive when everyone was introducing themselves.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. I wasn't really paying attention today."

"I could tell. When you were introducing yourself, you sounded pretty bored," I laughed.

"Ever the attentive one, aren't you, Hiroko-san?"

We ended up joking with each other all the way to class, when that pink-haired girl came into my sight.

"You were paying attention during introductions, right? Do you know who that pink-haired girl is?"

She looked where I was indicating.

"Yes, her name is Kanon Nakagawa. She has a job, so she doesn't come to school often and her seat is at the back, where she can leave easily."

I was pretty shocked at how informed she was, considering she hasn't been here long. I should take a page from her book.

"Ne, Hiroko-san, I was planning on getting some steamed buns from the convenience store after school is over. Do you want to come?"

"That'd be great. I don't know much about the area, so I can at least learn about one place today."

"How about I make it worth your while by giving you a tour of the area as well?" Her eyes lit up.

"Seriously? That would be so convenient. I'd be very grateful."

For the last hour of school, they kept handing out textbooks. That Katsuragi guy got hit by every one we got. The poor guy probably lost a few brain cells because of that. Honestly, with seven textbooks ranging between the Kindle and the Bible in thickness, I'm sure some brain damage has occurred already. As if he wasn't kooky enough...

After school, Hiroko-san was waiting for me by the door. We walked out, happily chatting about the shops in Maijima while putting on our outdoor shoes, when we heard a loud crash of someone walking into the glass doors at the entrance of the school. We turned, concerned, then we noticed who it was… Otamega was on the floor, barely caring that he was on the ground, only focussed on his game. We started laughing. Serves him right...

"Oi, Otamega. If you lie down there all day, someone will step on you." He ignored us completely, refusing to get out of the way of the door. We ended up having to walk over him, but I mistakenly kicked him as I was passing, causing him to wince.

"I did warn you," I shrugged and walked over to where Hiroko-san was waiting.

I told her a bit about Maijima as we walked to the store. Inside, it was warm and smelled of cookies. I loved hanging out here, because it always smelled nice and they allowed you to read by the magazine rack, which we were doing now. We actually found out a little something extra… That pink-haired classmate, Kanon Nakagawa, was a teen idol. She was starting to gain popularity now too.

I was quite happy. It felt like I knew a celebrity.

After making a quick stopover at school to give Ayumi her chips, we went around the neighbourhood, from the Karaoke bar to the Akanemaru to Inazumart to the Train station, where you could go to Narusawa. She was quite impressed at how much there was to do. I accompanied her home after the tour.

"Say, can I have your cellphone number?" she asked, pulling her phone out. I got distracted by her phone charm, which was a cute little mouse toy, dressed up in a police outfit.

I've seen that character before, at some arcade. What was it again? Mousy… Mouse police… Mappo...

"Is that Mappy?" I asked, finally remembered the name. Before when I used to go to the arcade to play games, I used to see it every day.

"Yeah, it is. I spent my childhood addicted to this game. Now I just keep this to remind myself."

"I see. That's cute. So just pass me your phone and I'll write it in. I'll do the same."

I then made a new contact, Mappy-chan and passed my phone to her. She laughed when she saw the name but didn't change the name. She only wrote her number in.

We parted ways after that. Still, I enjoyed today. I decided to call her for the fun of it.

"Ne, Mappy-chan. I just wanted to tell you how nice it was to meet you."

"Likewise, Chiro-chan. Thanks for showing me around today."

"Chiro-chan?"

"Yep, if I get a nickname, so do you."

"Fair enough. I'll see you tomorrow, Mappy-chan."

"You too, Chiro-chan. Enjoy the rest of your day."

I was still giggling about that phone call when I got home.

**Okay, I guess this would be the introduction chapter to this fanfiction. I'd say this is a pretty fair representation of how this story will go.**

**So if you don't like this, I'm sorry, but if you do, there's still a lot to come, so keep reading.**

**Actually, a lot is an understatement.**

**So, if you have anything to say or complain about, the review box is down there.**


	2. And so, I met him

**DUN DUN DUN... Chihiro and Keima meet... That can't end well...**

* * *

It took a bit of getting used to, but I think Second Year is turning out quite to be quite good. Even though there aren't many cute guys in my class, me and Mappy-chan found out that the Basketball club are filled with cuties. We sometimes go hang out there after school.

Unfortunately, I can't do that today. I've been neglecting my homework, so I want to have one afternoon where I just marathon it all, so I won't need to worry about it then. After that, I'll do my homework every day after school so I won't need to ever worry about this.

Come to think of that, didn't I say that last week?

Mappy-chan seems to be up to date with her work, so she decided to go straight home after school. Unfortunately, I'll probably be bored out of my mind in the library, but at least I'll get my work done. Working with friends usually means I won't be productive at all.

I put off packing my bag after school, because I really wasn't looking forward to an afternoon of studying. Then again, my work would never finish itself, so I went ahead and packed everything carefully and precisely, taking my time, but at least doing it.

I still ended up wasting time, because by the end, there was only me and that Otamega guy, who was playing something in his seat. Over the few days I've been in this class, I realised he was being completely serious on the first day... He doesn't speak to anyone at all. Other than the occasional correct answer and "can I save first?", this guy really does avoid any 3D people.

Still, I hadn't apologized for kicking him on the first day of school. It wasn't eating at me, per se, but I really should say sorry. I didn't really want to touch him (Oto-san says otakuism is contagious) so I thought of a better idea.

I pulled a ruler out of my nicely packed (for once) bag, and sat on the seat behind him. Obviously, he didn't notice, or care, that someone was behind him, because all he did was impersonate a statue with moving fingers. I held my breath and used the ruler to poke his hair: absolutely no reaction. I smiled and flicked his weird bed hair up: still no reaction. For a few moments, I just flicked his already messy hair into some spiky mess, nearly chewing my lips trying not to laugh.

Then I poked his neck, nearly causing him to fly off his chair. I really couldn't contain myself as the poor guy slid off the polished wood which was his seat. Though now I was totally off topic. Wasn't I here to apologize, not antagonise him some more? His face was really too funny for me to care much.

"What the hell is your problem?" Katsuragi shouted, jumping to his feet. I couldn't answer, because I was laughing too hard. My stomach hurts…

"S-stop that and apologize." He shouted again, embarrassment leaking into his voice. I breathed in, trying to calm down. It seemingly helped, because in a moment, I had calmed down enough to talk.

"I'm… sorry… I thought… that you were… a weird… gaming statue… or something… I wanted to see if you were alive." I gulped, not realising how little air I had in my lungs. I sound like a wreck.

"Don't lie, you real woman. You were trying to hurt me, weren't you?"

My gasping and nearly uncontainable laughter died down suddenly. Real woman… Even if I am part of the real world, that just sounded like an insult. How dare he…

"Real woman? I have a name you know! And why would I hurt you? I wanted to see if you had turned into pixels yet, Otamega!"

I waved the ruler around, as if to deter him from trying to attack me. It seemed like he had no intention of coming closer. He just started playing his game.

"Whatever, real woman. Just go away. You're an eyesore to games everywhere."

Even though I didn't want to back down, I had no clue what to say. He was just really annoying. I'm not really the prettiest, but by no means am I an eyesore. Screw apologizing!

"Well, you're an eyesore to humanity." I replied grumpily, putting my ruler in my bag and stalking out of the classroom.

"And my name is Chihiro, you big loser!" I screamed through the door before I slammed the door behind me.

I had calmed down a little by the time I reached the library. After the logic started sinking in, I felt really bad for screaming at him. I did start it after all, and I totally turned his hair into Goku. Even though it seemed like fun at first, I think poking a dog with a ruler would have been a smarter idea than poking Katsuragi with a ruler.

Yeah, I was at fault here. I should apologize tomorrow. But first; homework. This is gonna suck.

So I walk inside dragging my feet to the first empty desk I could see. Just that drained most of my energy, yet somehow, I managed to get some homework done… Of course, not without throwing my pen down in frustration many times. I was being so noisy that the meek librarian with the cute ribbons in her hair came to chastise me. Well, she tried, but I could barely hear her, even if she was three foot away from me. I apologized and threw my pen down in anger in my head instead.

My head was throbbing from my internal pen throwing and concentration by the time I left the library. I was pretty happy at myself though. I had completed a week's worth of homework and it was only five o' clock. Maybe I could even hang out with Ayumi. Her club should be over now as well

Katsuragi's Goku hairstyle flitted into my head and I laughed all the way to the field. I wonder if I should tell Ayumi…

* * *

**I must say, it's rare for me to write chapters with less than 1000 words, so this one was quite short. **

**I must say, I'm enjoying writing this story immensely. Chihiro is just fun to write about. I'm glad, that in the most recent chapter of TWGOK, she seems to be coming back. Even though Chihiro as a child seems totally obsessed with food, I can still see how that kid turned into the Chihiro who broke everyone's heart in the Goddess Arc.**

**That "Who the hell are you?" that she said as a kid really just reminds me of how crass she can be. I sure have missed her.**

**So, as usual, I want to know what you guys think. Please review if you have something you want to say.**


	3. And so, I bought a brush

**As I said yesterday, I'm back again. So here's chapter 3 of Those Mindnumbingly Boring Days, where Chihiro's actions come bite her in the butt... maybe...**

**Anyhoo, enjoy...**

* * *

In the end, I decided against telling her. I was worried she'd think too much of it and start teasing me or something.

Last night, I was thinking about how to apologize. I settled on a simple, 'I'm sorry. I was out of line with messing with your hair and calling you an eyesore. And I'm also sorry for kicking you last week. Please forgive me.' As for how well that would work… Only time will tell, I guess.

So I walked into class, ready to make a polite apology. If only he was that willing though. As soon as he saw me, he started glaring with the intensity of a laser. It's like I could almost see the red light burning my skin through my peripherals. What the hell is his problem now?

"Otamega, what'd got you so boiled up?" I said tentatively, placing my bag on my desk and sitting down. His glare didn't budge. He pointed at his messy hair, so I shrugged. It seemed pretty normal. At least the spikes from yesterday came out.

"Because of your idiocy yesterday, the back of my hair won't stay down. What the hell am I supposed to do about it now?"

I felt a twinge of regret about that. Even though his hair isn't much shorter than mine, you can still get some pretty harsh tangles in there. I guess sword fighting with hair really isn't a good idea at all.

"Okay, I'm sorry about that. Still, if you reacted sooner, I wouldn't have ended up messing it up so much." I replied, probably more meanly than I should have. I'm not sure why, but his aggression was pissing me off as well.

"As for your hair, why do you even care? It's just as messy as it usually is."

"Because today, my Dad has an important client coming and I'm supposed to sit there. Mum says if I don't fix my hair by then, she's taking all my consoles," Katsuragi shivered, as if the thought was too horrifying to stay inside his brain.

Honestly, I can't really see the issue. It's probably because I'm not an otaku, but I'd probably be just as desperate if I was losing my subscription of GirlWalker. I guess I owed it to him to help at least, so he didn't spontaneously combust without his games.

"Fine Otamega, It was my fault, so I'll help you get it out. Have you got a hair brush or something?"

Katuragi seemed content, because he pulled his game out and started playing.

"The player's parameters don't matter, so I haven't bothered with stupid stuff like that."

Wow, that's a real idiot. I'm pretty sure that all those games have addled with his brain, because no one can be dumb enough to not know the importance of hair brushing.

"You're a real idiot, aren't you? I guess there's no helping that. Come to the roof after school then."

He shrugged and continued playing, just as I expected. I don't know why I decided to help this guy I barely know. Yet somehow, I was doing it. He wasn't even cute.

I didn't talk to the Otamega for the rest of the day. It was probably pointless if I had tried anyway, because he was so enthralled with his game.

At lunchtime, I was counting up my change. It was still quite early in the month, so I still had a lot: probably enough to get a hair brush anyway. There's no way I'd lend him mines… His nerdiness might be contagious.

Our school has an open gate system at lunch time, so I was able to leave and get lunch and that stupid hair brush from the convenience store quite easily.

As I was waiting in line at the convenience store, I wondered if I was being too excessive here. I know I was wrong to mess with his hair, but this brush was putting a sizable dent in my allowance. Why should I even care that much?

Still, I'd hate to be the cause of Otamega losing his games. He'd probably spend the rest of this year glaring at me... 500 yen for being spared from those hole burning glares doesn't seem that bad.

I put the brush and the bentou I had brought on the till. The cashier looked at me sympathetically.

"Bad hair day?" she asked.

"You have no idea..." I shrugged, throwing the stuff in my bag. Then again, any day with Otamega's hair is a bad hair day. No surprise considering he doesn't even own a hairbrush.

I met Ayumi back at school, where she was sitting at her desk chatting with some girl. She waved me over when she saw me.

"Hey, I don't have practice today. Do you want to hang out after school," Ayumi asked as soon as I stole someone's chair and sat down. I cringed slightly.

"Sorry, not today. I have some plans for after school," I shrugged, hoping she wouldn't ask. I'm pretty sure helping Otamega isn't something you should be proud of.

"Oh well, that's a pity. I guess it's just me and Miyako then," she indicated to the other girl here. I think she sits beine me, but I haven't really gotten the chance to talk to her.

"If you do manage to make time, you should just call. Does it have something to do with Otamega?"

Just great... The one question I didn't want to hear. My skin started heating up, like a child who got his hand caught in the cookie jar. I rubbed the back of my hair nervously.

"Err… Yeah, it does. I did something to Otamega yesterday, so he wants me to fix it this afternoon. Though after that, I won't really need to talk to him."

Ayumi seemed slightly relieved. I wonder what she was expecting.

"Oh, is that all? I was worried you were going out with him because you were talking this morning to him."

Her tone was serious but I knew that I shouldn't fall for that... again. We've known each other for ages, so I knew she was trying to get me to blush, but I wouldn't take that bait. I made my face as deadpan as I could.

"Nah, I'm just righting a wrong today. Tomorrow we'll go make out on the roof..."

Ayumi spat out her drink and Miyako's eyes bugged out. It took a lot self control to not crack up at their faces.

"Really!?" Ayumi sputtered out.

"No, you idiot! I wasn't going to fall for that whole 'you have a crush on so-and-so' thing again," she frowned.

"Damn, you're getting smarter..." she remarked. I smiled smugly.

"Though seriously, it's probably better if you didn't talk to him to much. It could mess up your reputation quite a lot."

I was a bit ticked off at what Ayumi was implying, but she was just looking out for me. At that time, the bell rang so I got up.

"Thanks Ayumi. Trust me; he's so annoying that I wouldn't want to speak with him unless I had to anyway."

After that, I properly introduced myself to Ayumi's friend, Miyako Terada, who was also on the Track and Field team. I hope I didn't weird her out too much... it might be alright to crack something like that around Ayumi, but a near stranger... That was probably a bad idea.

Luckily, it seemed like my concerns were unfounded, because she was laughing at how Ayumi nearly drenched her desk. I think I'll get along with her just fine.

In any case, I was not looking forward to this afternoon. Though at least I won't ever have to help this guy after this afternoon.

* * *

**Hehe... The dramatic irony in that last line is killing me.**

**First things, I have to thank Earl Cardinal... Just so you know, I appreciate long reviews more than the short ones, though the short ones aren't bad either. I guess I just like feedback, even if it's a few words.**

**Thanks for the impromptu Japanese Culture Lesson. Honestly, I didn't actually know that, even though I've seen that Haganai episode where Kodoka and Yozora were learning how to actually use their phones. I doubt I'll change the chapter though.**

**Though speaking of random Japanese fact, I learned this new one today from my Japanese Physics lecturer today. Apparently, in elementary school, if you write a really outstanding answer in a test, they mark that question with a circle than turn it into a flower. They call that a 'Hanamaru'... How cute is that?**

**Well, that was a long Author's Note... I guess I'm done then...**


	4. And so, I used some clips

**Eh, I know I said I'd post everyday, but shit happens, so this one is a bit late. I'm not really certain if anyone's enjoying it, but whatever... If you like it, then continue reading. Hopefully I won't skip again.**

**So this chapter is a continuation from that previous one, where Chihiro's kind of roped into helping Keima. I thought it panned out pretty well.**

* * *

By the end of the day Ayumi didn't say anymore, so I was quite grateful. I wasn't looking forward to this, because it totally cut into my cute guy hunting time. Still, you gotta do what you gotta do.

I spent the time after school talking with Mappy-chan, so when I finally left for the roof, Otamega had long since been waiting there. He already had his nose stuck into his console when I arrived. I sat down on the bench next to him, using my bag as a barrier between us.

"Okay, so how do you want to do this? Should I just give you a brush and you try getting it out yourself, or should I do it?"

"You do it. I lost a lot of precious gaming time yesterday, and I refuse to lose more."

I was at a loss now. I was near certain he'd want to do it himself, but I didn't want to brush his hair. One little brother was way more than enough. Also, there were people around. I've been rumour-free for a year and I sure as hell didn't want them to start now.

"Fine then. But can we do this elsewhere? The roof is a bit…"

He stood up suddenly and started walking down the roof. I trailed after him, completely confused. Did he even hear me? Am I excused now? Can I go home?

He went into one of the empty classrooms, so I guess he did hear. He plopped himself onto a seat, playing his game.

"Yeah, do whatever you want, as long as my hair looks presentable by the end."

'Whatever I want…' I could probably have fun with that. If I'm wasting all this time anyway, I may as well have my own fun.

I always seem to lose the clips in my hair, so I have an emergency stash in my bag. I pulled them out, pretty happy to see the assortment of pinks and blues and reds. Heck, I even had a flower one. Otamega will look really pretty now… Once I put them into his hair…

I stood behind him awkwardly with the hair brush. Honestly, I had no clue how to even start with this. Maybe I actually could do it like how I did it with my brother. It still felt weird touching his hair, because it was way softer than Chitose's… Considering he barely brushed his hair, it was in pretty good condition.

"I'm surprised you'd let a near stranger touch your hair," I remarked, detangling a few strands before clipping them up. He shrugged, so I guess he didn't have much to say. So I shut up as well, focussing my attention on fixing, and girlifying, Otamega's hair.

After going through his hair, he had a dozen multicoloured clips in there, and it looked beautiful. My best makeover yet… If he knew what I'd done to his hair… there'd be Hell to pay for that…

I really couldn't resist it: I took out my phone and snapped a few pictures subtly so I could laugh about this at home later. I bet Otamega would make a great girl, if his hair is any indication. This totally made up for skipping basketball practice.

While he didn't catch me photographer impersonation, he still heard my snickering.

"What are you laughing about?" he asked, not looking up from his game. I continued laughing.

"If you haven't noticed already, you don't need to know. Don't worry though. I'm nearly done."

I wrapped up pretty quick after removing the clips. His hair was just about flat, except for that one annoying hair which refused to stay down. Well, I guess all idiots need idiot hair as well.

"There you go. Your hair is just as good as it's going to get," I handed him the brush and put the clips away into my bag.

"Isn't this yours?" he asked, handing the brush back.

"Nah, as if I'd let you use mines. You can keep it."

I pulled my bag over my arm and was about to leave when he spoke, his words stopping me at my tracks.

"Thanks, Chihiro."

I was really surprised to say in the least. The hairs on my neck prickled like a draft just hit me from behind.

"That was creepy. Don't ever thank me again," I continued walking, rubbing the goosebumps from my arms, "and don't call me Chihiro!"

As soon as I was out of the door, I started running… I don't really know why, but that creeped me out more than any scary movie I've ever seen or horror fiction I've ever read.

By the time I reached outside, my breathing was jagged and my heart hurt, reminding me how unfit I actually am.

I looked back at the building, ashamed at myself for reacting so drastically over something so stupid. Many guys have called me by my first name, but they usually had known me for more than two days. He really is an idiot. Like Hell I'd help that idiot again.

I glanced at my phone. It was only three, so I decided to make a little stop off at the gym. I guess that whole exercise didn't take as long as I expected. Mappy-chan was off doing something or the other, so she didn't come with me. It's a pity really, because the boys in the basketball club are really quite good looking.

'Yep,' I thought, watching the whole team of cuties slam dunking one after the other, 'this is why I come to school.'

* * *

**Whoop whoop, cute guys FTW! At least Chihiro got to have her fun in the end.**

**Anyhoo, if you're curious about that Chitose guy I mentioned earlier, or if you're a skim reader like me, and didn't even notice that, please continue reading. I'm making up for yesterday's screwup by posting another chapter.**


	5. And so, I ate ice cream

**As I have helpfully stated in the first line of this chapter, this happens the next day. Timeline wise, this probably happened two or so weeks into April, which is the new school year in Japan. It's pretty weird for someone whos school starts in January, not that it really matters.**

**Though more importantly, I actually brought 2 original characters into this story this chapter. While I don't think anyone will have a problem with Shinji, one of the guys in the Basketball Club, but the other character worries me a little.**

**Don't bite off my head, but I actually gave the Chihiro in my story a little brother. In canon, they never mention siblings of most of the girls, so I believe it is perfectly plausable, and honestly, I think she has a slight case of the middle child syndrome. It also allows for me to introduce stuff to Chihiro that she wouldn't normally know. I dunno, if you think I'm derailing her too much, tell me how much I suck in a review.**

The next day, I showed Ayumi those pictures of Otamega's hair with those multicoloured clips. I was not amused when she asked why I was taking pictures of my own hair.

Then, I realised that physically, me and him look creepily alike. That would also explain why I thought that he'd make a decent girl. I'm not really super cute, but I sure as Hell am not an eyesore, looks wise, no matter what he says.

Class was monotonously boring as usual, so I was looking forward to going to the gym after school. I guess I hadn't realised how often I'd been going these last two weeks, because one of the members approached me. A cute sandy haired guy, who seemed to love doing tricks with his basketball. My heart started beating faster and more loudly as he came closer.

"Hey, I've noticed you coming to practice quite often… Do you want to learn basketball?"

Think fast, Chihiro… And don't you dare make a fool of yourself!

"Y-yes," I stammered, "I-I thought it'd be fun." My face felt way too hot and my hands started fidgeting with the hair by my ears.

Suddenly, a weird burst of confidence hit me and I stopped stuttering.

"I came here to see how the pros did it," I smiled cheekily.

It worked, because he laughed and tousled up my hair. I didn't really mind the action, but I still had to flatten down my hair anyway.

"We're not pros, but I could probably teach you to shoot hoops." He said, grabbing my arm and pulling me off the bleachers. I let him drag me to the baskets, but I was still bemused when he put a ball in my hands.

"W-what do I do now?" I looked at him, confused. He smiled and made a throwing motion. I did the same, but the ball landed nowhere near the hoop. I hurriedly went to get it, my face burning in embarrassment. He didn't seem to care that I missed, just giving tip after tip.

On my fifth try, I managed to get the ball into the hoop, where he started clapping and cheering. I was now embarrassed for a different reason, because his hollering started alerting the other team members.

"Not bad, New Girl," the sandy haired boy clapped me on my shoulder, "just a bit more then I can probably start teaching you the rest."

"Thanks," I smoothed down some of my hair, "Don't call me New Girl. My name is Chihiro Kosaka."

"Alright, I'm Shinji Akagi. Can I call you Chihiro-chan?"

I nodded. At least he asked, unlike a certain someone. Plus, that creeped out feeling I got from Katsuragi using it wasn't there at all. It actually felt kinda nice.

"That's good then. Shinji-kun works for me, if you like."

Shinji-kun… I liked that. It had a nice ring to it. I was really happy to make a new, and totally adorable, friend.

The rest of the team decided to play with Shinji-kun as well, so I joined. It was fun, yet somehow, I knew I wasn't like them. They were so into their sports that you could barely get a word in on any other topics.

As I was leaving, Shinji-kun asked for my email address, which was a real ego boost. I happily gave it to him.

On the way home, I received an email from him. It was pretty standard 'great to meet you, I hope you come to hang out soon' type of message, but it had quite a few smileys. I would never have pegged him as that kind of texter.

When I got home, I did what I usually do, which is turn on the TV and see if anything good was on. Weirdly enough, I saw that pink haired classmate of mine, Kanon. She was singing, so I guess she's one of those teen idols. I decided to stick around for a bit.

By the end of her song, I was a whole hearted fan. While she was at school, she wore her glasses, but now, she looked totally cute without them. And her singing… It was amazing! It was like she was shining on stage.

I decided to call Mappy-chan and ask her about it. She mentioned this pretty good article in this week's ChauChau, but I hadn't bought it yet. Still, I got some little details about Kanon. Apparently her birthday is on March the third, and she's actually a year younger than me. She was also in a girl group, Citron about two years ago.

Not that I'd ever admit it to anyone, but hearing about her made me a bit sad. In the sixteen years she's been around, she's become famous in Japan and has performed half a dozen songs and probably has loads of fans. She also works her butt off, because the reason she misses school is because she's so busy. What have I done in seventeen years? Basically, I've been living a normal life, passing through school and doing my chores. I want to do something more, but I have no drive or direction.

Ayumi is the same as Kanon as well. She loves running so much. She pushes herself every day to improve her time, and she actually has to alter other facets of her life, like her diet and her sleep cycle, to improve herself even further. What the hell am I doing with my life?

I didn't like thinking like that at all so I hit my emergency brain stop button and dove into a magazine close by. It worked, because I didn't feel that punching in my heart anymore.

My house is pretty quiet, because when my brother Chitose came home, I heard him straight away. He came running into my room a few minutes later, making a flying jump for my bed. My eyes twitched.

"Chitose, I know you don't make your bed, but can you please not ruin mines?" I said, irritated, not looking up from my magazine.

"Don't be like that, Nee-chan. I want to hang with you for a bit. It's like I don't even exist with you anymore," he pouted, flailing his arms and legs and further messing up my bed sheets.

I hate to mention it, but he does have a point. With the amount I actually think about my siblings, you'd think I don't have any at all. I put my magazine down and sit by Chitose, which stops his tantrum.

"Yeah, you're right. I only really talk to you at dinner. In fact, how would you feel about getting some ice-cream with your Nee-chan? My treat."

He was thrilled, because he ran straight to his room to get a jacket. I don't really understand why, because it's Spring, so it's not even that cold.

Se we headed out to get ice-cream. Chitose had his soccer ball with him, so he kept kicking it with his knees and balancing it on his head. When I threatened to take it away, he calmed down significantly.

"So how has your football been going, Chitose?" This was the wrong question to ask, because he became hyperactive all over again.

"It's good, Nee-chan. I scored a goal during practice today. We're having a game this weekend, so I want to be in top form by then. Though I hope we don't get Kurohashi as our referee this match. He always makes sucky decisions…"

I smiled. Chitose loves soccer, so he always goes on a rant if anyone ever mentions it. Whether he's playing or whether someone deserved that red card, he always had something to say. Personally, I wasn't much of an athlete, and I don't get the rules no matter how many times he explains it, so soccer is quite low in my list of interests. Still, I didn't mind listening to him.

"…So then, Akari started cheering me on… I ended up winning the game, so she gives me a smooch of victory… Then there's Yuuki…"

Yes yes… Akari cheering Chitose on during a match. They kiss… Wait, what? Which girl dare kisses my adorable brother?

"Did you just say someone kissed you?" I interjected, stopping his tirade, "When did this happen?" He shrugged; cheeks a bit pink, and rubbed his hair.

"Well, it didn't happen to me. It happened in this game where you get to date girls. I finally reached the ending today."

Oh, I've heard of those. They're for the people who can't get girls but still want a romance. Since when has my brother been into those types of games? Well, at least he isn't dating any girls. He's only ten, and that just reflects badly on me, because I'm sixteen and have never ever gone out with a guy.

"Oh, I see. Since when have you started playing those kinds of games?" I asked casually. Honestly, I thought ten year olds thought girls had cooties, so I was quite surprised.

"It's only been a few days actually. My friend showed me this game, and since then, if I'm not eating, sleeping or playing soccer, I'm playing it. It has three girls, so I want to get a good end with all of them."

Not all at once, I hope. I've seen how love quadrilaterals work, and it's not pretty… Well, in the media. I've never seen one in real life.

"Well, as long as you know that real life girls have cooties, I think that kind of game isn't bad. Can I see it when we get home?"

By then, we were at the convenience store, which I make one too many trips to, so we got ice cream: Banana split for myself and chocolate chip for Chitose, as well as the new issue of GirlWalker and ChauChau. Then we walked home, just talking about random things. Of course, it got a little sticky (not the ice-cream, because we ate those really fast) when he asked who my boyfriend was.

"I-I don't have one…" I replied, feeling a bit hot despite the mass of cold ice cream in my stomach.

"Sure you do, Nee-chan. Pretty girls like you deserve a nice guy to buy you presents," he was so earnest that I felt a bit mean for breaking his illusion of me.

"I wish. Most of the girls in my class are way prettier than me, so they'll get the guy first," he patted my arm.

"Don't worry Nee-chan, I'm sure there's a guy out there who'll think you're the prettiest girl in the world and will buy you lot of presents."

I laughed and mussed up Chitose's hair. I really did have the best brother ever, even if he's a soccer obsessed slob.

**Aww, you gotta love siblings. Personally, I have two of them myself, so I know how great they can be. Though it's never fun getting compared to them. What can you do though?**

**So I'm done posting for today. I'll be back though, so don't miss me...**


	6. And so, I went to a game shop

**Okay, I won't lie... The lack of reviews on this story is kinda disheartening. I guess it's a bit unfair to expect a lot though, considering I'm posting this quite fast. Eh, whatever...**

**Now this chapter was a hoot to write. You will see why soon enough.**

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When we got home, Chitose showed me his game. The drawings in it were very colourful and pretty. Maybe one point worth complaining about was the faces of the girls. I saw all three girls, and I was pretty sure they were all the same face, with different hairstyle. The lines were quite predictable as well…

"So, what do you think, Nee-chan?" Chitose asked after I had been playing for a few minutes.

"It's fine, I guess. The drawings are nice. The story is a bit predictable, but if you like it, you can play it," he seemed happy at that, because he took his console, the PFP, and ran back to his room.

Eh, come to think of that, isn't Katsuragi's game thing the PFP as well? Either way, no one cares.

The next weekend, Chitose asked me to come with him to the game shop in Narusawa. I didn't have any other plans, so I may as well see if there are any games which might be interesting.

When I arrived at the game shop, what I saw nearly made me turn around and go straight home. Why is Otamega here? Then I realised it was pretty redundant to ask; because his nickname has 'Otaku' in it. He probably lives at this shop.

I ducked behind one of the shelves, where Chitose joined me.

"What are you doing, Nee-chan? The games I want are over there." He pointed towards the shelves at which Katsuragi was standing by. Of all the shelves in this world, he had to be at that one! Ugh, can I just go wait outside? But I made the whole trip here. I may as well look at the games here.

"You can go if you want. I want to look at these games for a bit then I'll come to you," I said motioning at the shelf by me. He shrugged and walked over to the shelf by the paying counter where Katsuragi was holding two games, as if he was weighing the pros and cons of both disks.

I tried to read the titles in the shelf I was standing by, but both my eyes and ears gravitated towards my brother and annoying classmate who were standing less than two feet away from each other.

"Wow, that's a lot of games you're buying!" Chitose commented. I hope that wasn't aimed at Otamega.

"Yeah, I ran out of titles, so I'm stocking up for the week," a totally familiar voice replied, killing my previous wish. I was not surprised at all, given how much he played in class. By this point I had given up being subtle, and was just watching them while hiding myself enough that they didn't see my head around the shelf.

"Wow, you can play a lot in a week, Nii-san." Chitose replied, clearly impressed. I was amazed too. That pile may have been half my size.

"Well, I am called Otoshigami for a reason. This amount is child's play for me."

"Ne, Otoshigami-san. Can you help me find a game? I want one about soccer."

Obviously Katsuragi, being the gaming genius he is, handed him some games without batting an eyelid.

"I'm done shopping now, but if you ever need help finishing those games, here's my email address." Katsuragi handed a piece of paper over to him before turning towards the till. I got so into spying on the two of them that I didn't notice Katsuragi looking right at me.

He stepped closer, but I was too petrified to duck or move away…

He stepped closer, and I could almost feel the floor move under me…

Another step… My head started swimming and his footsteps were louder than smashing boulders…

One more… my eyes squeezed shut.

"I've been looking for this," Katsuragi grabbed something, brushing my hair in the process.

When I opened my eyes, Katsuragi was at the till, paying for his pile of games, now with a new box added to it. I breathed a sigh of relief and snuck to the back off the shelf, far away from him.

When I was certain he was gone, I went to where Chitose was looking at the array of games in his hands, wide-eyed.

"You can only afford one right now, so choose the one you like best," I said.

I looked at the shelf of near identical game boxes when something caught my eye. Are those cute guys!? I picked up the box and looked at the back, which had more pictures. Yep, there were quite a few of them at least.

I was torn at this. Is it wrong that I wanted to play this? In real life, there are some cute guys, but this seemed different… And they were so cute… But they're 2D, which is just weird… But they're so cute… And these are characters in a game I'd be trying to romance… But they're so cute!

Screw this, I'm buying it! I'm sure I can't become an Otaku from just one of these, can I?

I pulled out my purse from my jean pocket. At least I have enough money for this. But seriously, this stuff is expensive. How does that guy afford it all?

"By the way," Otamega's voice came out of nowhere. I turned back to the shelf, trying to blend into the shelf. Before, I was at least hidden by the shelf, but there was no way he couldn't see me. Man, I didn't want to get caught here by him. What I he thinks I'm like him and tries talking to me?

"I have this website which has some walkthroughs for some games. It's on that paper I gave you."

He left then, not paying attention to anything at all. It didn't stop me from getting annoyed at how much this was affecting me.

"Nee-chan, isn't the Otoshigami guy so cool," he then looked at me, and I knew I was screwed, "Why are your cheeks pink?"

"My cheeks aren't pink. I'm not the slightest bit embarrassed." I said, sounding like a complete idiot and causing my face to darken even further. God, can I just pay and leave?

"You like that guy, don't you?" Chitose grinned mischievously. Even though that wasn't the reason at all, my body just refused to respond the way I wanted, because my body was just getting hotter and my stomach was flip flopping like a fish out of water, which also satisfactorily described how I felt as well.

"No way! I totally hate Otamega," I waved my arms, as if that made my argument stronger. He was not assured, because his smile only got bigger. This is not going anywhere. Luckily, I've learnt from experience that my brother's silence can be brought with money. Also, if I didn't do that, he'd be singing about this loudly and obnoxiously all the way home.

"Yeah, obviously this isn't working. How much do I have to pay you to not mention this to my friends or Nee-san."

"Yeah, I'm a bit short to get this game." He held up a box with a whole bunch of girls in soccer uniforms, "Just pay the difference and I won't mention what happened today to anyone."

And so I left, my wallet seven thousand yen lighter than when I came in. Chitose was grinning from ear to ear about his new game, and possibly more blackmail material. Evil little kid!

"Nee-chan…" I looked from my emptying wallet to my Demon Spawn Brother, "If you want to date that Otoshigami guy, you have my approval."

"Shut up!"

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**So there you have it, Chihiro visits a game shop for the first time, only to nearly run into the last person in the world she wants to see. I wish I was a better writer, because I don't really think I portrayed her nervousness well. I guess I really prefer third person because that's all about what you see and less about how you feel.**

**Anyhoo, I know I haven't mentioned it in the last three chapters, but please review. I like reviews... It makes posting my story here feel worthwhile. Also, I can't really improve this story without some feedback.**


	7. And so, I got a ring

**So it turnes out, I'm really lazy... Even with this story just needing minor editing, I still don't post everyday. I guess I'll take that promise back then.**

**I wonder why that surprises me, considering I've lived with myself for nineteen years.**

**Anyhoo, so we continue. By the way, I've finally hit canon... Whoohoo!**

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When I went back to school the next week, sakura petals were flying everywhere. At least Spring is good for something. The place really looked so pretty, but they kept flying into my hair. I made sure to dust myself off properly when I came inside.

Though speaking of Sakura petals, the game I brought on Saturday was actually based in Spring, so there was this one heartwarming, if not slightly awkward scene where I, the main character, get those petals picked out of my hair by some cute guy. Instead of the usual character standing in front of you, they had put a picture where you could actually see me, looking embarrassed as Daisuke holds a petal in my face with a teasing smile. While I had to roll my eyes at how corny this was, it was still quite enjoyable. I wouldn't mind a romance like that for myself.

I was pretty bored during Japanese history. Then, I heard Miyako snickering somewhere behind me. Then I noticed Sensei was standing feet away from me by Otamega's desk. This idiot is in for it again…

"Katsuragi Keima-kun…" He looked up from his PFP. Incidentally, my brother has one of those as well. I borrowed it so I could play my 'Bakers from Heaven' game.

"What could be more fun than my class?" she asked. Anything else other than Japanese history, I mentally replied, even though the question wasn't directed at me. Honestly, I can see why Otamega would rather play games for the rest of his life than here this boring tripe that happened so long ago.

"Sorry. Please wait for me to reach a save point," he continued playing. Up went the textbook. It descended on his head with such force that the sound echoed out of the classroom as well.

Sure enough, his PFP was confiscated and that brief moment of interest disappeared. I sighed and clicked my mechanical pencil some more. I guess I should actually take notes and stuff now.

At lunch, as I was walking back from getting lunch, I noticed a new hole in one of the pillars and rubble on the floor… Ayumi must have come here. Come to think of it, there were actually quite a few today. I guess she's really excited for that meet.

She was telling me about how she was chosen to run at the first meet of the year. She was quite excited because the Third years in her club were being pains, so they'd finally back off if she won. Honestly, considering that she runs fast enough to run into a wall and dent it, I think she'll do it. She's a great runner. Even when we were kids, I was never any competition to her during our races.

But that was around the time I actually cared to try. After I noticed that my effort was getting me nowhere, I just stopped trying.

After school, me and Mappy-chan decided to get some taiyaki. It was pretty convenient, because Inazumart was only a few minutes walk. While we were waiting for our pastries at the indoor stall, my phone vibrated.

"Hey, Chihiro-chan XD. What are you doing now?" I read out aloud. Mappy-chan took a bite out of her taiyaki.

"Who was that?" I looked at the address.

"It's Shinji-kun," I replied. She smiled teasingly.

"Oooh! So what'll you say?"

"Well, I'm kinda hanging out with you…"

"Just tell him you're free. It sounds like he might be interested in you," I sighed and complied.

"I'm just hanging around. Don't you have practice today?"

In a few seconds, I got a reply.

"Nah, they're doing repairs in the gym, so we get a break :). Do you wanna hang out for a bit?"

Mappy-chan was so excited she was nearly squealing. I had to calm her down before I could reply that we'd meet outside the school in ten minutes. I put my phone away, and Mappy-chan was starting at me intensely.

"So… Is that a date then?" she asked. I rubbed my head.

"He didn't say so," I shrugged. Even if my tone was nonchalant, my cheeks were getting a bit hot.

"I guess either way, you still get to hang out with him. So do you like him?"

"I… I don't think so. He's cute, but we're friends," my cheeks were getting pinker. I hated getting interrogated like that. On the other hand, it was kinda nice to have a friend who was curious enough to actually ask embarrassing questions like that.

"Don't worry. You can still work on that. If you're going to hang out with him, why don't you take a taiyaki for him as well? I bet that'd make a good impression."

I thought about that for a second then nodded. Besides, the way to a guy's heart is through his stomach, so I'm sure it would be a good idea. We went back and got an extra one for him, hopefully he doesn't mind red bean…

Near school, Mappy-chan and I parted ways, but just the fact she was slinking off probably meant there would be some date peeping involved. I sighed and walked over to school gate.

"Chihiro-chan!" he greeted me happily, before looking at the fish-shaped pastries that were in my hands, "What's up with the taiyaki?"

"I was at Inazumart, so I got some," I handed him his one. He smiled and thanked me, "so what do you have in mind, exactly?"

"Uuuuhhh," he stretched his words out, as if he was thinking about it, "I got nothing, actually. I guess anything would be fun."

I laughed at that sheepish look on his face. He really was so cute.

"Well, I don't really know what interests you, other than basketball…" an idea popped into my head, "though maybe we could go to that arcade on the second floor of Inazumart… I think they have one of those basketball-like games in there," his smile got even bigger.

"That'd be great! I was pretty bummed that practice got cancelled, but bow I can practice and even play some other fun stuff."

"I'm okay with anything… As long as you know I'm only paying for myself…" He mock pouted.

"Aww, but who's going to pay for me?"

"Don't look at me… I already got you a free taiyaki…" he laughed and mussed up my hair again. I think he did it with more vigour than he expected, because I had to take of my clip so I could flatten my hair.

"You know, Chihiro-chan, I think you'd look cute if you tied your hair in little pigtails or a ponytail," he commented. I didn't really like people making remarks about my hair, but I let it pass, after a brief pause.

"I've tried, but my hair is really too short. It always comes out after a few minutes."

"Oh… I thought girls liked doing stuff with their hair."

"Some do… Personally, I cut my hair short because it tangles really easily for me. It's just easier for me to handle anyway."

"Well, I guess you're the one brushing it, so you can do whatever you want with it…" he laughed and started eating his taiyaki.

We walked in silence for the rest of the trip. I was actually thinking about my hair as well. Not that I had mentioned it to Shinji-kun, but there was another reason I cut my hair. I liked being able to do stuff with it, but my older sister also had nice long hair, and because her hair was nicer than mine, she'd get a lot of attention and my relatives would also make snide remarks on how thin and scraggly my hair looks. I kind of gave up after that and just kept my hair short. I guess it's better for me anyway. At least when it's short, less people can see whether it's limp or full of volume.

"Chihiro-chan…" Shinji-kun waved in my face. I stopped. We were in front of Inazumart.

"You seem really out of it," he stood in front of me, "what'cha thinking about?" Obviously, I couldn't tell the truth, so I just smiled.

"Just about how I'm going to whip your ass at basketball," I replied cheekily. His eyes lit up at the challenge.

"Fat chance! I'll wipe the floor with you instead…" he then dashed into the mall. I could see a few eyes on us. I didn't want to appear childish by running, but he was still flying, taking the stair three at a time. I sighed and walked as fast as I could. After all, I'm seventeen now… I'm too old for running outside of gym.

For the rest of the day, we played arcade games. The Mappy game isn't around anymore, but we still got to race around in cars and shoot stuff and as promised, we played basketball. Obviously, he won… By how much… You don't need to know that…

It was still loads of fun. I haven't played like this in ages. Still, what Mappy-chan had said earlier… his didn't feel like a date at all… I'm not really sure what a date is supposed to be like, but I imagined I'd be more nervous. I actually felt really relaxed. Plus, all he's been is friendly for the last two hours.

Weirdly enough, I'm okay with that. Somehow, despite him being so cute and sweet, I don't have a crush on him.

We were cashing our tickets in for some crappy prizes when I noticed this really cute ring with a sunflower on it. Of course, I got that one. The lady at the counter handed it to Shinji-kun. He laughed and grabbed my right hand.

"My princess, I believe this is yours," he placed it into my palms and closed my fingers.

"Ah, thank you, my prince…" I slid it onto my ring finger, "I shall treasure this and wear it every day… until it gets confiscated at school…"

We laughed and headed off on our merry way… Then I figured out something…

There's no way I have a crush on him…

I don't think my pulse rose at all… and trust me, I checked. I wonder if my brain is broken...

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**So there you go... That was not a date.**

**Still, I enjoyed writing this. I kinda feel like going to an arcade myself. They never have any nice prizes though.**

**So as usual, please review. This story is only getting started now, so there's still quite a it to come. **

**Of course, if you feel like I'm derailing Chihiro, it's easier to fix it now compared to later.**

**Ja ne... I'll be back in a few days.**


	8. And so, I did Cleaning Duty

**Hi again, everyone. I'm back! Did anyone miss me?**

***crickets chirp***

**Kay...awkward... Well, whatever, here's chapter 8. Just so you know, I'm probably going to be a bit slower with updating now. Unfortunately, the editing went to point where I'm basically rewriting chapters. It's pretty screwed up, but I love writing this, so I don't care...**

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As I was walking to school, I passed some banners by the field. There were loads of them and all of them were cheering Ayumi on. I wonder if I missed something…

In class, I got the firsthand view of Ayumi beating up Otamega. Normally, I'd try and put a stop to that, but I'm sure either way, he probably had it coming. He's probably going to get a lot of that if he continues being as creepy as he usually is.

"Hi Ayumi, I see you're having fun," I commented, watching the battered and bruised weirdo hobbling to his desk, "I think you may have gone a bit overboard though."

"Otamega started it…" she grumbled and sat down in her desk.

"What did he do this time?"

"Yesterday, while I was running, he started cheering me on… And today, he put up those stupid banners."

The hair on the back of my neck stood up a little bit. That's just plain creepy… Since Day 1, he's been going on about how much real girls suck and now he's actually trying to make an effort for one… What Twilight Zone did I step in now?

Unless… maybe he's grown to like Ayumi? It's not really logical, but it might make sense that he has a crush on Ayumi and is trying to impress her. That thought bothers me somewhat,

"Maybe he likes you," I replied, trying to pass it off as a joke, but failing.

Seeing that Otamega only knows games, maybe he believes that cheering on Ayumi is the way to her heart. I think Chitose was telling me about some game that does like that… Still, I'm quite surprised… I know Ayumi's popular with the guys, but to think that she'd attract that brand of guy… it's kind of laughable…

She pondered for a few seconds then dismissed it.

"He's getting back at me, because I tried to shove my cleaning duties on him yesterday," she groaned and put her head tiredly on her desk. She's probably practicing hard for the meet, so I can't blame her… I'm guessing this whole Otamega cheering thing isn't helping either. I think now's a good time to change topics.

"Do you want to see something?" I asked, digging my right hand into my pocket. I'm sure I put that ring in there.

She nodded so I pulled the ring out.

"That's so cute," she cooed, taking it out of my hand and inspecting it.

"Yeah, I won it yesterday. It was so much better compared to those other crappy prizes that we saw yesterday…"

"We?"

"Oh, me and Shinji-kun. We ended up going to the arcade yesterday."

Of course, just the mention of a guy was enough to distract her from the ring. Of course, she grilled me for details, and I happily gave them to her. Even though I hate answering questions like that, at least Ayumi looks a little happier. It kinda seems like something is bugging her. I wonder if the whole Otamega cheering thing is that bad.

We ended up talking about that until class started.

Class was pretty boring otherwise, and the whole day went past in a monotonous blur. I was quite looking forward to seeing Shinji-kun after school, but as if fate would have it, I got detention after school for not doing my homework… What's new?

As part of my detention, I got extra cleaning duties for today, even though my actual turn wasn't until next week, so that killed my plan horribly. I just wanted to get this over and done with now. So after school, I made a beeline to the broom locker by the stair case. Everyone would be out by the time I got back so at least I could work as fast and as sloppily as I wanted to.

I guess I gave my class too much credit, because after the fifteen minutes it took me to fill the bucket with water and get the mops and brooms, there was still one person sitting at their desk, frantically pressing buttons like their life depended on it. I sighed.

"Otamega, just leave already. I can't clean with you here."

"I don't want to. That crazy bugged demon will be waiting outside. She won't come here at least," he muttered. This wasn't really the answer I wanted to hear. I want to clean here already so I can go home and sleep or something.

"I don't really care. If you're going to stay here, at least go sit by the corner or something," he thought for a second and decided to make himself a useful being for once and pushed some of the desks to the side of the class. That was nice of him, considering I didn't even ask him to go that far.

"Thanks," I said quietly.

"I'm not doing anymore work, but I won't stay in your way," he said, making himself comfortable in his seat after pushing 20 or so desks to the side. I was actually really grateful. That horrible scratching of the legs on the tiles annoyed my ears, yet somehow, he did it without all that sound. At least half the desks won't screech today.

I put in my earphones and turned on some music on my phone. That kind of helped with the boredom. Otamega was ignoring me anyway, so at least there's no awkward small talk or anything necessary.

About 15 minutes into my sloppy cleaning fest, I heard a knock on the door. I pulled out one ear .

"Who is it?"

The door slid open an inch.

"Is this class 2-B?" A dark eye peeked into the room.

"Err, why do you ask?" The answer was pretty obvious, considering the hanging plaque outside our classroom.

"I'm looking for Keima Katsuragi," I peeked into the corner where Otamega was sitting. He was shaking his head and mouthing no. It was a pretty obvious hint.

"This is 2-B, but Ot-Katsuragi isn't here. You should try the roof," whoever was outside seemed satisfied, because they disappeared with a faint twinkling sound. I wonder if I heard that wrong…

After I closed the door, I noticed Otamega was standing up, putting his PFP away.

"Why did you have me lie if you're just going to leave now anyway?" I asked, irritated. He shrugged.

"I can't hide from her forever anyway. Let's just get it over and done with," he started walking out and a weird kind of desperation seized me for a second.

"Wait," he stopped and turned back, "you have chalk in your hair."

I was really surprised myself… Honestly, I hadn't intended to call him at all. I really don't get why I did call him. At least that chalk thing wasn't a lie. Nikaido-sensei threw a board duster at him during last period.

He rubbed his hair a bit.

"Is it out?" he looked strangely concerned, considering his appearance didn't matter to him. I laughed.

"Not at all…" I tried to indicate on my head where the white powder was, but he kept missing it, and I was starting to get a bit frustrated as well.

"Look, it's over here…" and I stepped up to him and dusted if off for myself without really thinking. It only took me a moment to get it off, but only then did I realise how close I was. And the fact that I was listening to a love song didn't help at all. I could feel a wave of heat creeping up my own face, so I stepped back, unfortunately, slipping on the newly mopped floor.

"D-don't get so close!" he shouted, before leaving the room. I had nothing to say.

He was right. I shouldn't have gone so close, because I figured out something horrible… And all because of that one simple move of dusting his hair.

I like him…

Exactly the thing you want to figure out when you're flat on your bum…

I sighed and got up, rubbing my sore butt bone. I guess the impact was a bit much. And now my skirt is a bit wet too, because I was waving my wet mop around too much. Just great!

What the hell is wrong with me exactly? I'm supposed to hate that guy, yet somehow, my heart-rate is through the roof and my cheeks are probably as pink as a strawberry. And this probably wasn't the first time I felt like this around him, but it was much more obvious today.

I looked at my palm, that had been in his soft brown hair just two minutes go, and my cheeks flared up again…

Well… Shit... What do I do now? I'm so screwed…

* * *

**Wahahahaha! In my original go at writing this, she wasn't supposed to figure she liked Keima... till like Chapter 12, so now a lot of rewriting is in order. In any case, I'm hoping it wasn't too sudden a revelation. I did try to show the small signs, but I'm not that subtle a writer, so I probably screwed that up.**

**In any case, here is your chapter. Hopefully I'll update over the weekend. The manga is coming out on Friday night, so Chihiro will be back. I'm so freaking amped!**

**Speaking of amped, is anyone looking forward to Mekakucity Actors? It's coming out in a month now, and it'll be epic.**

**If you're a fan of the manga or the songs or the novel, feel free to drop a PM about that. If you're not... you should check it out. **

**Kana Asumi, who's Chihiro's voice actor will also be in that show, so I'm also quite excited about hearing her in that.**

**Okay, enough small talk. Please review, if you've got anything to say.**


	9. And so, I played Vii(R)

**And so we begin again...**

**As usual, this last thing turned into more of a rewrite than an edit, but it seems like I'm finally on track... Though I doubt anyone cares.**

**This chapter is kinda a breather. After the embarrassment I put Chihiro through, I wanted to give her a break.**

**Anyhoo, another new character comes. They actually mentioned him in canon in Chapter 40ish of the manga, so as usual, I thought too hard and gave him a personality.**

**As for what his personality is... You better read on...**

When I went home that afternoon, after that horrible discovery, my brain was whirring like a chainsaw. I really just could not understand what had happened to me at all. Attraction has some pretty obvious physical signs, and for some reason, the class geek was setting them off on me.

I'd understand if he was good-looking… I'd understand if he was an admirable person… Heck, I'd even understand if he was nice to me, but he just didn't fit in any of those. He's an ill-natured, game-playing, girl-hating jerk. How could I possibly like him?

Still, a crush can be easily dealt with… After a bit of time and effort, I could send my attention someplace else, and my peace of mind could be restored. I felt much better after deciding that.

After a much needed bath, I heard the house telephone ring. The house wasn't empty or anything, but no one was answering it, so I picked up on the cordless phone.

"Hello…" I answered. I heard a slight gasp over the phone.

"Chihiro, baby… I bet you missed me," a voice trying too hard to be sultry came through. I recognised it immediately.

"What do you want, Keita?" I asked sourly. He tutted over the phone.

"Still playing hard to get, I see," he dropped his previous tone, "Where's Chitose?"

I peeked into Chitose's room, but he wasn't there. Though it seems like half of the clothes he owns were piled up on the floor. I swear my brother can't take out clothes without pulling the rest of his cupboard out.

"He's not here now. Should I have him call you back?"

"Nah, I want to stay and chat with you for a bit, my Beautiful Flower. How would you like to join me for some coffee this weekend?" my hand balled into a fist.

"No," I answered as I always do when he asks that, "for the hundredth time, we're cousins," he started talking, but I cut him off, "and no, even if we weren't cousins, you're still too young… and too forward…" He never really took my rejections that harshly anyway.

"How about if I said I've got your diary captive?" he said, cheekily. What diary?

"Nice try… I don't even have a diary."

"Sure you do. When you guys moved, we got a box of your stuff, and it was inside there."

"I don't believe you," I said, but I was worried now. I did have a diary when I was younger. It is a possibility that when we moved to this place two years ago, it could have been left there.

"If you think I'm lying, here's your proof: 'Dear Diary, today, me and Ayumi were'…" I recognized that. That definitely is mine.

"Okay! You've proved your point. Now when can I get it back?"

"How about on Saturday, when we go get coffee together?" That evil brat! Saturday is still ages away. He may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but even he'd manage to read through that whole book in the end.

"How about today, when I come over and whip your ass…" I was pleased, my voice sounded super threatening. And if I just hung out for a little bit, it'd be fine. As long as I get that diary back…

"You've got a deal if you stay for longer than an hour…"

"Got it then. I'll be over in half an hour. You better have the Vii set up before I get there."

"Yes, ma'am! A gaming date sounds good," he cut the call, sounding much happier. I felt a bit bad for being so harsh to him, but he really didn't get the hint otherwise. As I was dressing, I heard my brother coming out from the kitchen. I didn't know he was even home today. Of course, he'd be coming with me as well.

"Chitose!" I called and he came running… Such is the power of being an older sister… "Keita invited us over to play Vii. So are you coming?" He smiled widely.

"Of course! I haven't played in ages."

So, we made the half an hour walk to Maijima East to my Aunt's house. It was weird, passing all the buildings I used to see every day when I was younger. It really has been some time since we visited here.

I felt really guilty when Keita opened the door, holding out a rose for me, when he noticed I was with Chitose. It was a loophole in his words, but it was just plain mean. So I made up for that by being super nice to him the whole time I was there. Of course, kids always take advantage of kindness, so I still slapped him when he tried to cop a feel. God, what's wrong with fifteen year olds?

Still, I had fun. Playing racing games definitely took my mind off the whole thing this afternoon. He handed me back my diary as we were leaving.

"Even though we weren't alone, you came, so here's your diary back," he blushed, "and I'm sorry for nearly grabbing your butt. I don't know what I was thinking," he scratched his temple.

"You stopped, at least. Thanks for inviting us… well, me… over. I had fun today," He held up his arms for a hug, but I declined. I think he understood, considering what happened.

The rest of my day was pretty boring… I was too exhausted to do anything when I got home. I just threw my newly acquired diary in my desk and went to sleep.

_I was back in that white room again. It was a bit different though, because there was a black motorcycle a few feet from me. I felt my heart stop for a second in fear, and I backed away slowly, like it would come attack me again. Still, it didn't move._

_Despite my constantly increasing heartbeat, I slowly went over to it. After all, it was the only thing in my dream… It may have even been the thing I was waiting for._

_There was a small note on the dark seat, which showed up really obviously. I picked it up gingerly and read it._

'_DRIVE ME'_

_I scrunched it hard in my grey fist. Like I'd ever drive that death trap!_

The next day played out almost exactly the same as yesterday, I walked into class, seeing Otamega's head stuck into the wall. How the hell did Ayumi get so strong?

"Err, Ayumi, don't you think you're going to far here?" I asked her as she was putting her kicking leg down.

"No… He also came to cheer for me yesterday," oh yes, she had mentioned that before… I don't really understand why it irritated her so much.

"So why does that bug you? Is he distracting you or something?"

"Well… not really. But people in the club are starting to talk now, like me and O-o-otamega are dat-" she slammed her head down, as if the thought was too horrible to say out loud. It took a second to sink in, but I finally understood why it was bugging her, because it was the exact same thoughts that had come to me last night.

For some weird reason, I'm attracted to him. Still, I'd deny it frantically if anyone asked me. Unless I wanted to commit social suicide, no one will ever find out about this. Now, back to Ayumi's problem…

"Just tell him he's annoying you and you don't want to be associated with him. I'm sure he'll leave then," she sighed.

"I tried that yesterday, but he won't stop. If anything, his banners are getting even bigger now."

Oh yes, I saw that. Those banners were definitely more obvious compared to yesterday. I wonder what's up with that now.

"How about if you ignore him? I know my brother leaves if I ignore him," it was a silly thought, but I think I struck gold with her, because Ayumi stopped looking so bummed.

"You're a genius, Chihiro!" she exclaimed, a new fire shining in her eyes, "he's probably winding me, so I'm sure ignoring him will be just the thing."

"I kinda doubt it," I muttered, and went to my seat because Takahashi-sensei had come in for maths. Not that I can say I know Otamega very well, but he seems more stubborn than that. I really don't understand why he'd be bothering Ayumi at all. Both him and Ayumi would be happier if he'd just go play his games… Or not…

Suddenly, a horrible idea occurred to me. Could it be… he likes Ayumi…

I had said it in jest yesterday, but considering his usual antisocial behaviour, it has to be a pretty drastic change… A crush could fall under that.

I had decided yesterday that no matter what happens, I'd never ask Otamega out. I'd get laughed straight off the universe if I did something like that, and honestly, he's mean and unsociable anyway, so we have nothing in common, yet somehow, the thought of him liking Ayumi made my stomach sink. I had absolutely no right to think like that, considering how much I bad-mouthed him.

I ended up avoiding Ayumi for the rest of the day. I think my mood's too volatile now, and I don't want to say something I'd regret.

At lunch, I got some melon bread from Demeter, because as always, the omelette-soba bread is always sold out here. After that, I went to sit by Mappy-chan in our class. She looked pretty excited about something.

"So…" she asked expectantly as I pulled a chair and sat down.

"So…" I dragged out. I have no idea what she was expecting.

"So do you like him?"

**Oooohhh, pointless cliffhanger...**

**Well, Keita will probably come again later, but most likely, he'll have a bigger role in the sequel, coz someone has to help Chihiro learn guitar.**

**And I'm hoping that you got that Vii is a knockoff Wii, which coincidently happens to be my favourite gaming console for the time being.**

**Anyways, please review. It seems like whenever I write that, someone does listen, so I like that at least.**


	10. And so, I read my old diary

**Well, I thought I'd post up one more chapter before I go for the weekend.**

**Well, this continues from where I left off last week, so enjoy...**

* * *

I blanched for a second… If experience is anything, I am not going to enjoy this conversation at all.

"Do I like who?" I sat down. I considered just walking off, but I know if it's ever girls talking about crushes, the one in the interrogation seat will never get away. She smiled and waved her hand, like I was being silly.

"You know exactly who I'm talking about. You were so flirting with him yesterday," I nearly choked on my melon bread. After I painfully swallowed that chunk, I hastily shook my hands. Oh, God, she knows. She must've been around after school yesterday.

I had no clue what to say in my defence, because if she'd actually seen me and Otamega in the window after school, there weren't any words in the world which could save me. Still, it didn't stop me from trying.

"W-what are you talking about? There's no way I could like that guy!" my voice was just one octave off from being hysterical, which wasn't helping my case at all. As I suspected, she wasn't convinced at all.

"Then why is your face redder than a firetruck now?" I wanted to smack that smug look on her face.

"My face isn't red, okay!" Man, why can't I think straight? I'm being so obvious now.

And if one person knows, it means everyone's gonna know… And now I'll have to transfer from this school with my tail between my legs…

"Aww, stop being so shy. It's obvious you like Akagi-kun…"

Err, what? Akagi… like Shinji… Akagi…

Wait… who were we talking about?

"We're… talking about Shinji-kun… right?" I asked uncertainly. Her head went off to the side.

"Of course… Who did you think I was talking about?"

I felt so stupid now that I almost facepalmed. Of course she was talking about him. I was right about her date peeping before.

"But… uh… I didn't even see Shinji-kun yesterday," I replied weakly. At least I wouldn't have to answer her previous question. She looked confused.

"Didn't you go to the arcade with him yesterday?"

"No, it was the day before that, idiot!" I was harsher than I needed to be, but seriously, I made a total fool of myself and put myself in a complete panic… All because she forgot the freaking date! What the hell is wrong with me!

"Ohh…" I could almost see the memory rushing back, "You're right… Yesterday I was at Judo, so I can't have seen you guys…"

"So you're doing Judo now… How's that going?" I said, steering the subject elsewhere. I don't really know how perceptive she is, but if she joined the dots, she'd know something happened yesterday.

"It's going good… Now back to the subject. What was up with that reaction? You definitely like someone, don't you?" despite my brains best pleas; I could feel my face getting hotter again, like I was getting a fever or something. She'd never believe if I lied and said no.

"Fine, you're right… I like…" I hesitated for a second, "I like Shinji-kun," I tried to pass of my embarrassment as getting caught out."

"No you don't," her eyes were dead serious, "you weren't even looking at me, so you have to be lying."

"I wasn't…" I said softly, but it sounded more like an excuse than anything. She caught on my tone, because her face just fell. All that excitement that was in her face at the start of this conversation was completely gone.

"I'm your friend, Chiro-chan. Do you not trust me enough to tell me the truth?" she asked softly. I don't know if she was trying to guilt trip me or if she was actually concerned about how much I trusted her, but either way, I felt bad. Still, I'd feel much worse if I told the truth. I steeled my voice.

"I wasn't lying. I really do like Shinji-kun."

"Really?" she looked up, and I could see slight tears appearing at her eyes.

"Of course," I pulled my hands into a fist, like I was about to take over some new land or something.

"Can I root for you then? I'll even help you confess to him…"

"Sure! That'd be great," I knew I'd regret this later, but for the time being, Mappy-chan didn't look as dejected as before. Hopefully, it'd be alright.

For a few minutes after that, we talked about the ring and I got her opinion on how our arcade date looked to an outsider. Apparently we looked really close, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't bring myself to care.

That night, when I was at home, I pulled out that diary I had gotten from Keita yesterday. I was actually quite excited about that. It's like connecting with a completely different person… until you realise you were the idiot who was on the writing side of the story.

While I hadn't really looked at the cover before, it was actually quite cute. It was blue, and me, being the artistic soul I was, had covered just about every surface in different stickers. For some strange reason, I even had stickers of clothes and anime characters, which was just strange. I can't even remember the last time I watched anime, so this has got to be a really old diary. I opened it up.

_Dear diary_

I rolled my eyes. Talk about corny and unoriginal… At least it's in multicoloured crayon.

_I don't understand it. I thought going to school would be so fun, like how Nee-san had told me, but it's boring. All we do is learn kanji and numbers. The only good thing is that Ayumi is with me. Ka-san never lets me go to the convenience store alone, so she says I can go with Ayumi._

_I'm going to get so much candy that I'll turn as round as a ball._

After that was a crayon drawing of me in a mountain of candy. I wonder if child me was disappointed when she found out that her allowance wasn't even enough for more than a bag of candy. And I have to say, me hoping to eat enough candy to become a ball… that's just weird.

Well, if I was starting school, I was probably six years old or so, so it's okay that I was strange.

Even still, I couldn't stop smiling at the thought of a child me, going to get candy with Ayumi. My parents were okay with us hanging out together, because we've basically known each other since birth. Apparently my parents moved in the same neighbourhood as Ayumi's folks before I was even born so we've been together since we were little tots.

I turned over to the next page.

_Dear diary_

_We learned how to make rain today. All you need is a plate and a kettle. It was really cool, but Nee-san was saying that rain is the sky crying and__ condensasion is the plate crying. I feel sorry for the plate. I don't think anyone should cry. So we put up the Teru Teru Bozu to make the sky laugh and be happy._

I had also drawn a Teru Teru Bozu with a funny face.

I don't know… it seems like my attitude has definitely soured up over the years. I was actually a pretty sweet kid. I wonder what happened to turn me into this apathetic teenager with no drive in my life.

I decided to call it a night there. Just knowing that younger me was a more nicer me kind of made me feel… sad…

I ended up throwing myself into my Girls Walker magazine to make myself feel better. It seems like the music awards will be happening soon. They were talking about that on the TV earlier as well.

I think I'll go see it. It seems like it'll be on in a week and it's not like I have anything better to do.

* * *

**I can see the ending...**

**It was announced 2 days ago that The World God Only Knows manga is wrapping up now. I don't know if it means at the end of the next chapter or the next three, but it was quite depressing to hear.**

**Still, I'm looking forward as to whether they will have Keima apologizing to the Goddess hosts and Chihiro for what happened during the Goddess Arc. I just want a happy and unrushed ending for this awesome manga, but who knows.**

**Well, I'll put my predictions out there. I don't think Keima will end up with any of the girls, but he will be on good terms and make up with them.**

**Though of course, Keima and Chihiro will still be my ideal ending.**

**Anyhoo, review please. You know I like those.**


	11. And so, I hit my head

**So it's actually been a week since I last updated. I apologize for putting up Chapter 9 twice last week, but I put in the wrong file by mistake. **

**Anyhoo, That error's fixed and now I'm posting up Chapter 11. Honestly, I'm not a fan of this one, because it's more angsty than usual, but seeing that Chihiro's conquest is mostly angsty, I guess I'll get in some practice.**

**And so, here's Chapter 11**

* * *

I had a very comforting thought when I woke up this morning. After mulling it over a bit, I concluded that there was no way I could like Otamega. I'm probably getting all nervous because I don't have many guy friends, so I'm just over thinking it.

Also the accelerated heartbeats and the red face… I get that from running as well, and that sure as hell doesn't mean I like running. I guess that kind of goes to show my fitness level… Maybe I should actually run once in a while.

I got up with enough time to spare that I didn't have to run to school. So I took a leisurely walk to Maijima high, which for some reason, had huge skull shaped helium balloons holding up three vertical banners on the front. Considering each banner had "I LOVE AYUMI" written on them in bold, I'm guessing this is Otamega's doing, because Ayumi has been complaining about that for the last few days. If Ayumi hadn't told me personally that they weren't dating, I would have assumed otherwise.

It seemed like Ayumi was still at her morning practice, because she wasn't at class when I arrived. I ended up chatting with Miyako about the maths homework we had due for today. As I suspected, I made some stupid mistakes. I guess that's what you get for trying to watch a drama on TV and doing work at the same time.

"Hey guys," Ayumi came to Miyako's desk. First thing I noticed were the bags under her eyes.

"What did I tell you about practicing till so late, Ayumi," I chastised her. She frowned.

"It wasn't that. I couldn't sleep properly last night because I kept thinking about tomorrow's meet… Also, ignoring Otamega didn't work at all. He put up more banners today," she punched Miyako's table, leaving a dent. I shivered. If that's what she's doing to the innocent desk which was just in her way, what'll happen to the guy who was actually responsible?

"I wouldn't worry about so much, Ayumi," Miyako put her two cents in as well, "meets are more about trying your best and having fun than it is about winning," that seemed to be the wrong thing to say because Ayumi grabbed the side of the desk and squeezed it in frustration, causing another dent to appear. Seriously, where does she get all that strength? That doesn't even seem human now.

"I have to win tomorrow! I won't get any respect from the Senpais otherwise!" She was nearly fuming now, so I knew I had to distract her.

"You'll do great, Ayumi! Every time before a meet you get nervous, but you still do great. More importantly, where do you want to have your celebration tea?"

"Oohara's, of course. It's been ages since I've had ramen," her passion got directed elsewhere for a second before she calmed down, "you're right. I've been trying my hardest. All I have left is to trust in my ability tomorrow," she shoved her fist into the air, but I could tell she wasn't into it. She actually looked really sad, even though it was just for a moment.

Takahashi-sensei came in to start maths, so we had to go back to our seats. I hope Ayumi's okay.

As soon as the glass had greeted and bowed to him, he started out handing out papers. Funnily enough, our row didn't get any. It seemed like he was giving them to every second row. What's going on now?

"Okay, so this task is pair work. Everyone who has a paper must work with the person on their left. I'll come and collect this in half an hour," he then walked out of class muttering something about coffee. I guess even teacher get tired of school.

I looked towards my right. It was this girl I never really talk to but her name… Kurohashi? It's something like that. She was looking at the guy in front of me though.

"Kosaka-san," I turned back to the front, where What's-his-face was looking at me. I really couldn't remember his name at all.

"Would you mind if we swapped seats for this lesson?"

"Err… why?"

"I was hoping I could work with my girlfriend," I looked at… Kurohashi… was it? She was nodding eagerly, so I just agreed. It's not like it can hurt, can it? And if I didn't, most likely she'd spend the lesson making googly eyes at What's-his-face, so I'd get stuck with all the work.

Of course, only when I sat down in What's-his-face's seat did I remember who I was sitting next to now. Ugh…

"Otamega!" I called. He stopped clicking his buttons for a second to show he was listening, "so how are we going to do this?"

"I don't know. What happened to the other guy who was here?"

"What's-his-face-kun?" I looked back, where the two of them were making gooey eyes at each other. I guess making out isn't really an option here, considering class should be a PG-13 place, regardless of whether the teacher was here or not, "he's… uh… working with his girlfriend now…"

I felt distinctly uncomfortable watching that…

"Okay, you do the first fifteen questions and I'll do the last fifteen," and that was all he said before getting into his game… I guess that's fair… So I took out a fresh sheet of paper and started working through the questions. Luckily, I'd revised this section a few nights ago, so I knew what I needed to do. About ten questions in, a hand slapped on the desk. Takahashi-sensei is back, with a huge mug.

"Kosaka… Katsuragi… Are you doing your work?"

No Sensei… I just do maths equations for fun… Besides, why are you bugging me and not the lovebirds behind us?

"Yes, we're about ten questions in, Takahashi-sensei…" I muttered.

"No, you're ten questions in. Besides, it's pair work for a reason, you know? You're supposed to discuss this, but you two haven't even joined your desks yet," I sighed and scooted my desk over till they were touching, so Sensei would leave.

Unfortunately, that put me in my own bind. I was starting to get nervous again, and I kept making stupid mistakes in the equations. What the hell's going on with me?

After I scratched out an equation for the fifth time, Otamega snatched the paper out from under my hands. I guess he was also as frustrated as I was at my non-functioning brain. I let it go and just let him have a go and give my brain a break to sort itself out.

It was kind of a stupid move, because without the maths buzzing around my head, I noticed how our chairs were only two feet apart. He was tapping his fingertips on his PFP screen that was lying on his lap, and just for a second, I imagined grabbing his hand. I was close enough for that…

My eyes widened and I could feel a rush of heat coming up my face, so I did the first thing I could to dispel the thoughts. I hit my head hard against my desk… and again… and again… The image only disappeared after that.

I lifted my head and sure enough, my head was hurting now. I rubbed it with my palm.

"Are you an idiot?" Otamega looked at me from the page, "You're going to lose brain cells like that."

"I don't want to hear that from you," I retorted, gritting my teeth, "All your brain cells must've died when you became an Otaku. Besides, that was an accident."

"So… You hit your head… three separate times… by accident?" that arched eyebrow and sarcastic as hell tone made it certain that he didn't believe me.

"Shut up!" I shoved my chair as far to the right as I could. I don't like that guy's eyes… It's like he can see into my brain when he looks at me.

"You know your head is bleeding, right?" I pulled off my hand, and true to his words, they were red.

"Well, that sucks…" I went to ask if I could go to the nurse's office, but I nearly tripped. He got worried, so obviously, I got escorted to the nurse. Luckily, it was by Mappy-chan. I guess Takahashi-sensei did that so both our partners could work while we're gone.

"What happened to you?" She looked really concerned.

"Accident," I muttered. She left it at that, which was probably a good thing for me. I really need to get my thoughts in order.

After I was all patched up and had washed my face, Mappy-chan asked if my head was hurting. Strangely enough, despite the blood, the dull ache was gone and only if I touched the bump on my head did anything actually hurt.

Still, I felt quite ashamed of myself. I know hurting yourself is normal, but I'd put a decent sized gash which'll take weeks to heal and the blood still hasn't come out of my fringe… and all because of one stupid thought. I looked at my hand and squeezed it in and out of fists, but I still felt uneasy.

Otamega just makes me feel weird… I'd be lying to myself if I said otherwise… Still, I don't think it's a crush. Usually the guys I like would be smart and cute and kind, and would have whole fan clubs devoted to them, but Otamega is just a game-playing, average looking guy who's a jerk and doesn't care what other people think.

Still, he does have moments where he's almost nice… Like when I gave him that brush and he said thank you… Or when I was cleaning yesterday and he helped me push the tables to the side… Or even today, when I kept making mistakes, he took the paper and did the problems himself… And he also told me my head was bleeding. True, I would have noticed it myself a bit later, but maybe he isn't such a bad guy after all.

"Ne, Chiro-chan… You're being awfully quiet," Mappy-chan commented, "is something wrong?"

"A lot of things are…" I sighed, "but I don't think anyone has the power to change it…"

I was lying though. I had the power to change it. With this whole Otamega thing, I was sailing on dangerous waters and I didn't want to stir up anything more. If I ever wanted to get my peace of mind back, I knew exactly what I'd need to do.

When I reached class, I pulled What's-his-faces desk away from Otamega's. He held out the answers he'd completed to me.

"They're done now. Just hand them in and go back to your seat," I handed them in to Takahashi-sensei, who just nodded. What's-his-face also went back to his seat next to Otamega, so I just sat back in mines, kind of sullen.

As soon as I sat down, Otamega turned to face me. I tried to ignore that little skip my heart took.

"You're friends with Ayumi, aren't you?"

"Why does it matter to you?" I frowned.

"It doesn't… You know Ayumi better than me…"

"So what of it?"

"What does she like?"

"She likes it when nerdy losers don't cheer her on when she's running," I replied shortly. Even if he doesn't show his emotions much, I'm pretty sure he was surprised at me. I was surprised myself, but I had to do this.

"Ayumi doesn't want to catch your Otakuness, so just stay away from her," with that, I turned my head away and brought out a magazine, but for once in my life, I didn't bring it out to read.

I made sure my eyes we well covered on both sides, because I could feel them brimming with tears. I never would have expected saying such harsh words to him would hurt me so much, but as much as my heart hurt now, I was protecting myself from something much bigger. It's for the best really.

After school, Ayumi fell over a hurdle and twisted her ankle. I tried to talk her up and remind her that once it healed in a few days, she could run, but something just kept hinting that Ayumi didn't want to run.

I didn't want her to quit though. I've always admired her unwavering commitment and the sacrifices she made to get better at running, so if she gave up, all that effort would be for nothing. To improve as a person, you have to fail once in a while.

For me, I don't mind giving up. I just never put in much effort in all facets of my life, so it isn't like it's a waste. That's why it's okay to be mean to Otamega.

No matter what I do or say to him, Ayumi is the one who he likes, so it just doesn't matter. All I can do is pretend my feelings are platonic and just wait until they actually reach that point…

* * *

**Okay, this turned into one hell of a long chapter, but trust me, come conquest time, this'll be child's play.**

**So as usual, it's manga time comments. Chapter 265 just reminds me of how wow awesomely powerful the Goddesses are. I guess now Keima's back, they can go batshit crazy on Satire and wrap up the story. Though this story can only end when Keima opens his eyes, and there'll be another two weeks wait for that. I wonder if it's just me who feels the arc fatigue or if it's everyone...**

**Well, Mekakucity Actors is also starting around then, so I guess I'll be looking forward to then.**

**So feel free to review then, and I hope you enjoyed that.**


	12. And so, I pushed a Senpai

The next morning, while I was getting ready for school, I got a call from Ayumi.

"Hi, Chihiro. Are you coming to the meet today?"

I was surprised she was up to talking about it, considering her sprained ankle from yesterday. I wonder if something happened.

"Well, if you're not running, I wasn't planning on coming. Why do you ask?"

"Well… you see…" she hesitated for a second, then started speaking really fast, "I was actually pretending that I hurt my leg yesterday, because I had no confidence that I'd win. I'm feeling better now, so I wanted to know if you'd come support me again."

I was torn at this. Half of me wanted to scream at Ayumi for making me worry, and the other half was so relieved that she was feeling alright. The relieved side was winning.

"Wow, you're an idiot. Still, I'll always support you, no matter how big an idiot you act. When did you start feeling better?"

"I think it was last night. I just realised I was putting too much pressure on myself and all I needed to do was run as fast as I can and just enjoy myself. After I realised that, it all just fell into place. So I'm going to run now."

"That's a relief. I was worried that you would never want to race again."

"I'm sorry for making you worry. Although yesterday, it did feel like there was some huge weight on my heart, whispering for me to quit. It seems to have gone away now."

"That's great. I'll see you at school then."

I was really happy for Ayumi. It takes a lot of strength to bring yourself up when you're in the dumps. The fact that she did it was pretty amazing.

At school, Ayumi nearly ran into me, but I dodged, causing her to run into a pillar. The plaster cracked, which made me happy I wasn't in the way of the Mai High Missile.

She jumped up from the wreckage unharmed, which was a relief, but one of the partypooper teachers saw her and gave her break detention for vandalising school property. In her defence though, she wasn't vandalising… She was wrecking… Like that's so much better.

The day went horribly slowly, as usual… As per my promise to myself yesterday, I mostly ignored Otamega, minus throwing a scathing glare his way once in a while and muttering a few harsh words at him. Of course, if he ever heard them, he returned them in his own "real girls suck" statements. It was starting to work… Those phrases, which hadn't come easy at first, were starting to flow out more smoothly, and his own smartass replies were only fuelling my anger. Heck, it's Friday, but I bet I can make sure he hates me before the weekend even starts.

As I was going to get lunch, Ayumi was waiting outside the door for me.

"Are you in a bad mood, Chihiro?" she asked earnestly. I was curious as to why she'd think that.

"Not particularly… Why do you ask?"

"You've been at Katsuragi's neck all day. What's up with that?" I scoffed. The better question is since when has she called him that? I'm pretty certain she didn't call him that yesterday…

"It's because he's been asking for it," I folded my arms, "besides, why are you calling him Katsuragi?"

Her face turned a bit pink, despite it being an innocent question. I felt a smile come onto my face. It's a good time to get her back for all her teasing she'd been sending my way for twelve years.

"Could it be…" I said in a totally teasing voice, as I leaned over her, "that after all that cheering, you're starting to like him?" she scuttled away from me, her face almost glowing from her blush. If it was winter, I bet I could have used her as a radiator. I was triumphant!

"Don't be stupid, Chihiro. Besides, what's the whole 'cheering' thing you're going on about?" she diverted the subject, but she's not going to get off that easily.

"You know…" I paused for a second, trying to think, yet somehow, I couldn't remember it at all. How is that possible that the more I try, the less I can hold on to? It's like trying to hold onto water.

"Err… what was I talking about again?" I said stupidly. I really couldn't remember.

"You were telling me how psyched you were to watch me run today," she said with a huge smile… Eh, whatever I was thinking about probably wasn't that important anyway…

So we chatted about that all the way to Demeters. Her confidence is really back in full swing now.

After school, we went to the field, where a bunch of students and parents were sitting, bringing out the lunch boxes. Ayumi's mother was there, so I got to eat some riceballs and sausages shaped like octopi. It's been ages since I've eaten with those two.

Unfortunately, the pleasantries were disrupted by one of third years from the Track and Field club.

"So… I hear you're just a little liar who'd throw an injury just to get out of running. Why are you even here?"

My hands curled into fists at her rudeness, but Ayumi seemed strangely in control of herself. She didn't even look mad.

"Yeah, I did do that, but at least I'm not a bully like you who would purposely sabotage a race to try and win," Ayumi said coolly. I was quite impressed.

"There's no way that it could ever come back to me, Idiot. Besides, you're only worth anything if you can run fast. You still suck, so if I were you, I'd put on my bandages and hobble home."

How about I put you in bandages! And this time, they'll be real. Ayumi seemed to sense my anger, because she put her hand on my arm.

"I appreciate your concern, but I can assure you that I will run today, and I will beat your time. Then you can get off your high horse and learn to treat people with respect."

Ayumi's senpai snorted, but walked off and I calmed down a little bit.

"Wow, the Senpais in your club are really mean."

"They're always like that, but I'm sick and tired of just taking it. This time, I'll beat her and get her off my case."

And that's what she did. She tied up her hair and went full out. The Senpai who was in the race noticed, because she shoved her fist into the air. I didn't really understand why she did it, until I notice two girls, just meters from the finishing line, pulling at something. I stood up.

Wait, is that fishing line? No freaking way am I letting them trip Ayumi…

I walked nonchalantly towards the two girls, and crouched next to closest one.

"Whatcha doing?" I asked. The girl, who only noticed me now, smiled.

"We're going to trip the girl who's in first place. Second years need to learn their place."

"That's smart," I said in mock admiration, "those second years don't really understand how puny they are at all."

Ayumi was approaching, so I knew I had to act now. They lifted the translucent string a foot above the ground.

"Unfortunately, they're a bit smarter than you think."

I then shoved her as hard as I could, surprising her into letting go of the string. The girl on the other side screamed, but Ayumi passed over the limp string faster than the girl next to me could sit up, so she won easily.

"For Third year students, you're kind of dumb," I noted out loud, before getting up, "I don't really plan on snitching on you, but if I see something like this again, I'll take great pleasure in bringing a teacher right to you."

They seem to have taken my warning to mind, because I didn't see any weird business after that. Still, it was a bit worrying, because they could be doing something out of the eyes of the public. Regardless of whether they were plotting anything or not, Ayumi still got first place in the meet.

I congratulated her and went home. I was feeling a bit sick to my stomach, and it probably had something to do with those disgusting Senpais…


	13. And so, we got a new transfer student

**Ok, I'm really sorry I took so long to get this out. I haven't had a working computer as of late, so I'm probably going to continue like this.**

**Well, Chapter 13 is here now. Please enjoy...**

* * *

On Monday, we got a new transfer student in our class, Elsie Katsuragi… and yep, she's related to that Katsuragi. She's actually his little sister, and she is the cutest thing ever. Otamega didn't look happy to see her at all. No surprise really... 'Unless it's female and 2D, it's not worth looking at' must be his life's philosophy.

The whole class was crowding around her, asking questions, ranging from what club she wanted to join to how could someone as cute as her related to the Otamega. She didn't take insulting her brother very well.

"Just you see… Every girl in the world will be after my brother!"

The class looked blankly at Otamega, who was playing his game like his life depended on it. After feeling a dozen eyes staring at him from behind, he stiffly looked back, trying to glare, but it failed to look threatening because of his pink face.

The class was in stitches for the next few minutes. Heck, I'd pay money to see even one girl go after him. He really was such a dweeb.

Mappy-chan didn't seem that amused by the comment. I wonder if she thought we were being rude.

Nikaido-sensei came in and ruined the fun. On the other hand, I still got lucky, because there was a free seat on my left and Otamega's sister got to sit next to me.

"Your name is Elsie, right?" I asked. She nodded. I couldn't really think of what to say, but I noticed a broom leaning by the side of her desk. Now that I think about it, it's weird that no one mentioned it at all. Was she holding that the whole time?

"I'm Chihiro. Pleased to meet you. By the way, why do you have a broom with you?"

"It's a keepsake of mines. It just doesn't feel right to not have it with me."

"I see… That's a relief. At least you're not a witch or anything."

"I'm not a demon or witch or any other magical being, because they don't exist in the real world," she said hastily. That was just too suspicious for words. I wasn't even accusing her or anything, so now I'm just confused.

Class continued as usual. Otamega got a chalk duster thrown at his head (serves him right) for playing games in class. I frowned… this brought back horrible memories from last week. Still, I didn't have to tell him, because his Sister now get's the honours of doing that. Even if Elsie wasn't here, I sure as hell wouldn't do that again. It took me the whole weekend to get over that stupid mistake of mines.

Well, at least it's over and no one was hurt… well, I still have a band-aid on my head, but my fringe is doing such a good job that you can barely see it.

Come to think of it, the amount of times that idiot has been hit by books, hands and dusters has been way more than I can count on all my digits, and I've only been in this class for a month. Man, he sure is troublesome.

After school, I went to go get a meat bun with Mappy-chan before going to visit the gym. Shinji wasn't around, so I just watched the rest of them play. I was kind of bored. Maybe I should go see if some other clubs have cute guys…

When I got home, Chitose was waiting in my room for some odd reason. He was looking at the posters on my wall.

"Nee-chan, do you notice that the poster is wrong?"

I looked at it, reading out loud.

"Stay c-clam and carry"

"Yeah, the correct phrase is 'Stay calm and carry on'. Didn't you notice it when you bought it?"

Ugh, that's the last time I get cheap stuff from a China Mall. Honestly, I haven't paid attention to that poster at all. I only noticed it now that he mentioned it.

"Eh, the creators were probably trying to avoid a lawsuit or something, or they think the consumers don't know enough English to tell the difference. Either way, I don't really care, because it goes with my bed sheet. So why are you actually here?"

"Uh, yeah," he looked around distractedly, "you remember that Otoshigami guy, right?"

God, he's going to mention that trip to Narusawa, isn't he? I was instantly cautious.

"I remember. What about him?" I replied shortly.

"I kinda lost his email address and now I have a question for him. You seemed to recognise him at that shop. Do you know him?"

There was absolutely no reason to tell the truth, yet I did it anyway. What the hell is wrong with me?

"Yeah, he's in my class. What of it?"

"Can you ask him for his email again?" He asked in a small but almost pleading voice. I had my answer without even thinking about it.

"No way! Otamega is the type of guy you don't want to talk to at all," a cheeky smile appeared on his face.

"Then why do you have a crush on him if you can't stand him?"

"I don't have a crush on him, you idiot!" I could feel my blood boiling under my skin.

"Whatever you say…" he smirked, "Either way, I still need that email address. Please can you get it for me?"

"My previous answer still stands," I lounged back on the bed, opening my phone. suddenly, he appeared from nowhere and grabbed my phone out of my hands. In plain sight, he pulled up Ayumi's name out of my contacts, as if threatening to call her. Fear clenched my heart for a second.

"Ugh, I haven't got the energy for this. I'll get you that email address if you leave..." he smiled and handed the phone back, "and lend me your PFP for a bit, will you." I haven't played 'Baker's from Heaven' in ages.

Eh, why did I get so nervous at that? It's not like he has anything to blackmail me with anyway. What did I even agree to now? Man, I'm an idiot. Now I will actually have to talk to that guy.

He left and returned with aforementioned PFP.

"Thanks, Nee-chan. This might be a good thing for you. Maybe you can get his phone number as well…"

"Yeah yeah… Now leave."

He left, closing the door behind him, before abruptly stopping.

"If you keep acting so tsundere, there's no way he'll like you back."

The door shut before the pillow I threw could hit his face.

"Idiot," I muttered.

For a few moments, I just lay there, listening to Chitose's footsteps disappear into his room. After digging in my bedside drawer for a bit, I found the game.

I slotted the cartridge into the back and turned it on. It took pretty long for the menu to load, but when it did, I turned off the PFP, completely pissed.

I really liked this game. The drama wasn't overdone and the characters were cute and I had so much choice, but there was one huge issue with it… IT KEEPS REMINDING ME OF FREAKIN' OTAMEGA!

His games are slightly different, but they followed the same route. Meet girl… fall in love with girl… date girl… live happily ever after… I'd seen enough from Chitose to see how they work.

I don't want to be connected like that to freakin' Otamega! He's just a stupid nerd who I have absolutely nothing in common with who will probably cause me to spontaneously combust one of these days, because I can't make up my mind how I feel about him.

No… Obviously I despise his guts… I decided that on Friday and It'll stay that way forever…

Ugh, where's the Brain Bleach when you need it.

Still, I took the next best thing: this week's Chauchau.

Ooh, Kanon-sama has been nominated for the Music Newcomers award. That's good for her.

Damn, I sound bitter… What the hell is wrong with me? I think I need something even more brainless than a magazine… Where's my old diary? I should see what my idiot childhood self is doing.

It was lying on my desk, so I opened it back to where I had left it.

_Dear Diary_

_Today, Ayumi got me to try Lamson's steamed bun. It was yummy. I hope I can eat some more tomorrow._

After which was a drawing of a steamed bun with sizzling lines coming off the top. It's funny… Even now, I still draw my meat buns the same way. Basically a circle with two or three bumps on top.

_I decided that one day, I'll beat Ayumi in a race. She's always so fast, but I'm sure I can be faster if I try. Ayumi said that if I beat her, she'll buy me a meat bun, so now I have to._

I couldn't help it. I laughed at how simple I was as a child. Just a steamed bun which costing 50 yen was enough to motivate me to beat Ayumi. To my knowledge, I don't think I ever won, but at least I tried my hardest… maybe. I don't really remember anymore…

I rolled over, mistakenly kicking the diary to the floor. I dunno… I'm definitely a different person from that girl in the diary, but I know what route it took me to get to where I am now. After years of constantly reminding myself, and being reminded by others, that I was never really good at anything, I reached the point of not caring anymore. It's horrible to say, but I'm pretty sure that my child self would be disappointed if she could ever meet me.

Despite that, I don't hate myself now. I have a couple of good friends and my grades are decent. I think I'm fine like that. I grabbed my magazine from the edge of my bed.

So as I had read earlier, Kanon-sama won the Music Newcomer's award because of her song 'All 4 U'. When I turned the TV on, they were playing it, and it was really good. It was so catchy that I could probably listen to it forever.

* * *

**And so, the Chihiro fans rejoiced!**

**Hehe, you know what I'm talking about...**

**I won't say any more and spoil stuff for the anime only readers, but I'm liking how this manga is going. They better not screw this up next week, because this'll have to come into my story.**


	14. And so, I read a note

**It's been a while, hey. Honestly, I swear I just end up rewriting these chapters, instead of editing, because so much has changed, both within my story and within my head. I guess there's no helping it...**

**Kay, here's chapter 14, and Chihiro's first spoken lines in canon. Hip hip hooray!**

**Though it's crazy... It took 14 chapters to officially start. I think if I was to cover the whole of canon, I'd probably get close to 100 chapters. Still, I'll aim big.**

**Chihiro is worth the effort.**

* * *

_When I looked up at the sky, it was drizzling lightly… It wasn't hard enough to make me cold or wet, but I know the moisture would cause my fringe to fluff up annoyingly._

_I didn't seem to be holding my bag, so I couldn't shade myself, but I didn't have to, because the school building was right there, just a few feet away._

My eyes snapped open, and I was looking face to face to a tilted glass of water. I naturally raised my arm to stop my head from getting wet.

"What the hell, Chitose?" I sat up and glared at my brother, who straightened the glass and stepped away. Even still, a few drops did trickle down my face, so I had woken a little late.

"Don't get mad at me, Nee-chan," he smirked, "Okaa-san told me to wake you up, and you didn't respond to my calls." Even though he said that with a really innocent voice, the smile on his face… most likely, he didn't even try waking me up before he brought the water. Besides, I'm not a heavy sleeper, and I only slept at 11 last night. There's no way I wouldn't have woken up without an alarm…

I glanced at my phone and nearly fell out of bed. Because of my stupid non-ringing alarm, I only have five minutes before I had to leave, unless I wanted to be late.

Despite my concern, I still somehow got dressed, and left the house before it was too late, but I could tell that I was running late, because the crowd was pretty small.

"Chihiro-saaaan!" I turned around, and Elsie Katsuragi was behind me, her broom trailing behind her. Hehe… so we're both running late today…

"Morning, Elsie-san," I replied, though that just felt weird on my tongue.

"Good Morning, Chihiro-san," she slowed down when she was in step with me, "did you do the English homework from yesterday?" Oh crap… I didn't do it… Eh, I've never been up to date for school anyways, so I can't say I care much. Still, the look on Kodama's face… Egh, I should try sneaking that in during first period. While I was making plans, I noticed Elsie-san was still talking.

"So Kami-nii-sama went off this morning without waiting for me. He wouldn't even help me with English yesterday, so I know everything is wrong now," she looked like she was nearly in tears, which made me want to curse at Otamega. No one should make a cutie like her cry.

"Trust Otamega to be mean to you, and It's only your first day here. I'd help you myself, but I'm not that good at English," I sighed… At least that excuse is better than telling her I didn't even open our English workbook last night. Still, she was touched by my words, because she gave me a quick hug.

"Thank you for caring, Chihiro-san. Though It's Kami-nii-sama who should help me. I'll ask him at lunch," She went to her seat, and I went to mine, kind of bemused. She really is adorable… I could just take her home… except that sounds too creepy for words. Though why does she call Otamega 'Kami-nii-sama'? He's barely acted like an older brother… why would he need God in his name as well?

Eh I guess it's just one of those things…

When I sat down, Nikaido-sensei came to start first period History… Her words were lulling me to sleep, so I decided to be at least a little productive and do that English homework Elsie-san was telling me about. I propped up my history textbook and pulled out my English book so I could at least try to answer the comprehension we had. Still, the words flew over my head, like it was nonsense... Peesh, school is nonsense... Will I even need to answer an English comprehension in real life?

"So she made a promise to…" I muttered as I wrote.

Suddenly, my own promise from yesterday came back to me. I had to get Otamega's email address for Chitose… Ugh, why did I promise that?

I contemplated how to ask that for a few minutes, when I felt someone touch my arm. Elsie-san was holding a folded note and pointing at her annoying brother. I looked at it for a moment, wondering what any girl in the world would possibly have to say to that hopeless dweeb, even if she is his sister.

"Kosaka, continue reading," Nikaido-sensei called. I had no cooking clue what line, or even what page, I had to read from, so I did the next best thing. I slipped open the note and stood up.

"To my dear brother and Divine One," I peeked at Otamega, who had been leaning on one arm, when he nearly slipped. I knew this was totally mean, but it was still a bit funny. The rest of the class started looking at me as well, so I continued.

"I, Elsie, am so happy we can live together now," I kind of rolled my eyes at that… Who would want to live with Otamega? I wasn't really sure what I expected from that letter, but it's more boring than I expected. Well, there is a bit more…

"On that note, can we talk during lunch today? P.S. Please forget about what happened in the bath. It was embarrassing."

I smiled inwardly… Just the gold I was looking for. By this point, Otamega was so embarrassed that I swear he was trying to be absorbed into his desk. Elsie-san wasn't much better either.

"Why are you reading it out loud?" Elsie squeaked out from under her desk. I felt a twinge of remorse for scaring her like that, but my amusement topped it all.

"Why not? You wanted him to know, didn't you?" I looked over at Otamega, who had his head on his desk. He was so disturbed he wasn't even pressing his PFP buttons anymore. An even more evil question flitted to my brain.

"So what happened in the bath?" I smirked.

The boys in the class repeated the question over and over again, with their heads forming a pyramid. How they did that so quickly and perfectly in synch, I guess I'll never know. Probably the perverted parts in their brain are calling to each other.

I nearly snickered as I imagined these little perverted monsters in their brains standing up to attention and screaming through microphones.

Nakaido-sensei plucked out the note from my hands.

"Everyone, sit down. Kosaka, that's a detention for you after school for invading other student's privacy and not paying attention, and Katsuragi-imouto, you have to do lines at break for writing notes in class. And if I see anyone mentioning that letter again, I will shove it down your throat."

Just from being in her class for a month, no one doubted her… She's really scary when she's mad.

Still, at lunch, the topic of the letter came up anyway. I was sitting with Ayumi and Miyako, when Ayumi brought it up.

"So do you care what happened with Katsuragi in the bath?" Ayumi casually sipped her juice box. I nearly choked on my Yakisoba bread.

"D-does it really matter?" I swallowed down some juice, and Miyako hit my back to stop me from choking.

"You tell me… You're the one who asked, after all?" she smiled cheekily.

"Eeh, I thought it would be funny to ask. I wasn't curious or anything…" I half-lied… Truth is, I was kind of wondering. No one ever has anything to say to him, is all… I pulled up my juice box, and realized it was empty. Had I really drank all that? I was still thirsty, so I got up.

"Yeah, I'm going to get some more juice. I'll be back," the two of them shrugged, so I left. I met Mappy-chan outside the juice machine, incidentally.

"Nee, Chiho-chan…"

"What's up?"

"I was wondering…" I held my breath… hoping if this wasn't another comment about the letter. So I was curious… Big deal…

"Are you planning on confessing to Shinji-kun?" I felt both relieved, yet I knew that this could quite easily become another awkward conversation.

"Umm… I probably won't… I doubt he likes me anyway, so I don't want to embarrass myself," she seemed a bit disappointed in my answer.

"Can I maybe come with you next time you go watch their practice? I think he might like you back, so I'll just try to confirm then."

"Why not? And if you get bored, there are other cute guys to watch."

So we made that plan… Still, not today… Today, I have detention… And I still didn't get Otamega's email address…

For the rest of the day, minus the few conversations I had, I was pretty bored… I wonder if my life has always felt this boring…

* * *

**So I guess it's really over now... After 268 chapters, we finally reached the happy ending.**

**I was definitely satisfied with this ending, for obvious reasons, but my heart still goes out to Tenri and all her fans. I don't really want her to have another shot with Keima, but I hope she finds her happiness. She deserves that much at least.**

**Though if anyone wants to discuss the new chapter, or anything else TWGOK related, feel free to send me a P.M. I'll definitely answer. **


	15. And so, I didn't see a flying fish

**Hey guys! I know it's early for once, but the reviews have been fueling me on.**

**So here it is. Chapter 15**.

* * *

After a really bad night where I kept rolling over every couple of minutes, I decided to apologize to Elsie-san about reading her letter out loud in class. I didn't really regret it, as it had amused me a bit, but I did feel a bit guilty… well, maybe a bit more than a little guilty, and it took 100 lines of "I will not read other people's notes because I was not paying attention" to get there. My fingers were really stiff after all those lines, but I guess that's karma.

Anyway, a good person would apologize for embarrassing her classmate in front of everyone just for a few laughs, right? Even though I don't consider myself a good person, seeing that I'd totally invaded her privacy and all, but it was still gnawing at my conscience. Apologizing seemed like the right thing to do.

Of course, I stupidly missed my chance, because she and her stupid brother ran off somewhere together at the start of lunch. I really didn't feel like stalking them, nor did I really want to speak with Otamega, so I procrastinated my apology until after school.

Still, Elsie-san and Otamega disappeared together after the last bell rang, but I wouldn't let this continue any longer. I was feeling guilty enough as it is, and I didn't want another sleepless night, so I followed them, hoping that Otamega would just go away so I could talk to Elsie-san. Luckily, that chance came quite soon, because Otamega left her by the entrance of the gate.

"Nee… Elsie-san," I spoke, walking to her. She smiled at me, and I felt bad, because even though she has perfectly good reason to dislike me, she can still give me that brighter-than-the-sun smile she always has.

"Chihiro-san… What brings you here?" I looked at my shoes.

"I-I wanted to apologize… about the letter yesterday…" my voice was weirdly small.

"Uhh… Look Chihiro-san! There's a flying fish over there!" Her hand flew into my peripheral vision, and I turned… A flying fish? Where!?

Of course, there wasn't a flying fish anywhere, and Elsie-san wasn't next to me when I turned back… I guess she really was angry…

"Don't worry about it, Chihiro-san" Elsie appeared on my other side, causing me to jump, "you don't have to apologize," I turned to where she was. She still had that happy smile, but it looked like she was strangling an invisible snake or something. Where did she even disappear to, because she definitely wasn't there 3 seconds ago?

"Err… Still, I felt bad about that. I am really sorry…" she tugged at her invisible snake, "can we maybe start over and be friends?"

"That'd be great," she sent another heartbreakingly cute smile my way, which made me just want to wrap my arms around her and take her home.

"Awesome… So please take care of me, Elsie-san," I bowed slightly. Still, I didn't like that name… Even if her nickname is Elsie, it just doesn't come smoothly on my tongue. Her actual name is Elucia, so…

"Actually, can I call you Ellie?"

"If that's easier for you, then why not?" To commemorate our new friendship, she gave me a warm hug. Even still, I could see she was looking around distractedly.

"Well then, Ellie, you look a bit busy, so I'll be off then," I gave her a grateful smile. She nodded and walked off, to what appeared to be a mangled person.

I rubbed my sleep deprived eyes, but even after that, there was definitely a person lying on the floor, possibly . Was that Otamega? The wreck somehow got up, and I was right… Otamega was once again on the receiving end of someone's attack. What did that idiot do this time? Eh, though I really didn't care enough...

I rolled my eyes and walked to the gym, where I had told Mappy-chan to wait for me. Sure enough, she was in there, chatting with Shinji-kun. When they saw me, the both waved me over.

"So Matsumiya-chan was telling me about your problem," I shot a warning glare at Mappy-chan, but she just laughed. What the hell did she tell him?

"Yeah, I told him that there was a guy you liked, so you were hoping to get some advice from him," she assured me. I felt my heart calming down after a moment. I guess she didn't take the stupid direct approach, like what I was worried about.

I laughed awkwardly…

"Yeah, I was hoping you'd help me, seeing that you've got a brain of a guy…" I had to pull my hand away from my head to stop me from playing with the tips of my hair.

"I can try, but each guy is different, so I don't know if I'll be of much help," he ran his fingers through his hair, "so what kind of guy caught your fancy, Chihiro-chan?" his eyes flashed, though in a friendly, teasing kind of way. I felt a slight rush of heat go up my cheeks. So what am I supposed to tell him now?

"Err… He's kinda like you… I guess…" As I was twiddling my thumbs, I noticed one of them was chipping on the side, so I kept scratching it, which only made the situation worse.

"Like me, huh… Like personality wise, or is he also in this club as well?"

Yeah… this was a bad idea... I don't even know if I like him, so why am I even asking stupid questions like this?

"That doesn't matter… Though would you say guys like getting presents when they're getting confessed to?" Mappy-chan intervened. Probably a good thing, because I felt just about ready to bolt. I finally looked over my hands to Mappy-chan, and she smiled reassuringly. Still, this whole situation feels so stupid.

I only agreed to get Mappy-chan off my back, but the way it's going, I will probably end up confessing to Shinji-kun about feelings I don't even have. This just sounds like a bad drama series waiting to happen… Nah! My life is way too boring to even be considered a bad drama series.

Still, I watched bemused as Mappy-chan and Shinji-kun discussed… something. I watched their mouths move, but I was way too nervous to listen to it all.

Luckily, The basketball coach started the practice, so the awkward conversation which I hadn't been paying attention to ended. Unluckily, Mappy-chan realized she was running late for her own club, so she left me alone.

It was weird though… for the first time, I was actually starting to feel really nervous and out of place here. There were just so many guys who were doing drills and stretches, and I was just watching, uninterested. I knew the rules of this game and all, thanks to some previous conversations with Shinji-kun, but I really didn't feel up to watching this today.

Eh, I'm just gonna be a nerd and go do some homework in the library. That was probably one of the better decisions I made today, because as soon as I left the gym, I felt this immense relief. Eh, I'll explain to Shinji-kun where I had gone later, but right now, let's do some homework… by that, I mean turn on 'Love Kanon' and dance internally for the rest of the afternoon.

So that's what I did… A little bit of homework, and a lot of internal singing. Still, I enjoyed it a lot. Kanon-sama sings some really catchy songs, and even if it isn't conducive for productive studying, it make's one hell of a fun homework session.

Still, despite me removing my headphones as soon as I left the school, I still had that song stuck in my head for part of the walk home.

Weirdly enough, I met up with Chitose on the way home. It's just really rare, considering I usually come home earlier than he does.

"Chitose," I greeted as I walked next to him. I think I've become way too predictable, because he stepped to the side, so I couldn't ruffle his hair like I'd been planning.

"Meanie…" I grumbled. He heard and started laughing.

"Nice try… That just would have worked way better if you hadn't called me," he shrugged. He was right though… A sneak attack is useless if it isn't sneaky.

"So Nee-chan… Did you get the Otoshigami guy's email address yet?" I blanched, because I totally forgot about that today. Luckily, I realized I didn't have to worry about it now, seeing that I had a friend who's close to him.

"Sorry… Though I'll definitely get it tomorrow…" he groaned.

"Come on, Nee-chan! It's just an email address… It's not like I asked you to confess your undying love for him or anything!"

"Wh-why don't you get it then, if you're so impatient?" I glared at him hard, but a weird jolt ran through my body. Eh, I know it's Spring, but isn't it a bit hot today?

"You're the one in his class, you know!?" he retorted back, "but fine, I guess it can wait till tomorrow. I don't like being at a standstill in my game…" he looked up over the soccer ball he was rolling around in his hands before chuckling, "hehe, your face is pink…"

"No..." I corrected, "your face is pink… once I punch it in…" I raised my fist threateningly.

"Ooohh… scary…" he rolled his eyes and walked away from me.

"Besides… you're dead wrong. I already have a guy I like, and it's definitely not that loser, Otamega."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that…" he looked at me with a very bored expression.

I scowled at him… Just you wait, Chitose! I'll get a boyfriend, and it definitely won't be that game-playing weirdo you idealise…

* * *

**Wahahahaha! What do you know, Chihiro?**

**Anyhoo, thank you guys so much for how much support you've been giving me. Even though I write because I actually enjoy writing, getting reviews and follows really makes me want to write more.**

**Oh yes, I apologize for the random grammatical errors. Unfortunately, my sister, who usually proofreads my stories isn't really following this one, and even though I try, I still miss a couple.**

**And yes, I am quite a big fan of Kagepro, Suishou no Sekai-san. If you wanna talk about it, feel free to leave me a P.M. I do always try to reply as fast as possible.**

**As for the other question about Mekakucity Actors, Kana Asumi, who voices Chihiro, is voicing Ene-chan, the super adorable, if not slightly sardonic, cyber girl that lives in Shintaro's computer... Weird, huh? They sound almost nothing alike.**

**Still, I'm so amped for the Mekakucity Actors anime. I know Shaft can be quite strange, but I think that the whole concept that is Kagepro just seems up their alley. So far, they haven't disappointed me...**

**Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure I joined the Kagepro fandom because I heard that Chihiro and Takane had similar heartwrenching stories, so I couldn't resist.**

**Sorry for going on a tangent like that. I guess I was just happy that I wasn't the only other Kagepro fan here.**

**Well, after one horribly long Author's note, I'll be off!**

**Please follow or review or set this story on fire... whatever you want, really...**

**Ja ne!**


	16. And so, I got his email

**Hehe, I'm back again. Thanks so much for the reviews, you guys. Nothing motivates me quite like reviews do.**

**Still, I realised something weird. My writing style has kind of changed compared to when I first wrote this story. In fact, it's reached the point where I can't even use the other chapters as foundation anymore.**

**That's why it's taking a bit longer to update nowadays, just because I end up rewriting the entire chapter.**

**I don't mind though. I feel like my insight into this whole story has gotten better.**

**So, on to Chapter 16**

* * *

I was sitting at my desk, listening to Kanon's new single 'All 4 U' and reading a magazine, when I felt someone tap my on my shoulder. I looked up.

"Good Morning, Chihiro-san!" Ellie greeted me cheerfully as she put her bag down. I pulled out one of side of my headphones and greeted back. Man, why can't I be as cute and energetic as she is?

"So what are you listening to, Chihiro-san?" she pointed at my phone. I pulled out the other side and paused the song so I could reply to her properly.

"It's Kanon-sama's new single. Do you want to hear it?" I offered her one of the sides. She took it, but she just looked curiously at it for a few seconds. Has she never used earphones before or something?

"You're supposed to put those in your ear if you want to hear it," I clarified. She blushed but put the squishy plastic in her ear. I restarted the song.

At first, she looked fascinated that sound was actually flowing through the wire, but soon, she was bobbing her head to the music. When it was done, she pulled out the earpiece and stared at it.

"I didn't know that humans had boxes like yours which can play music," she followed the wire all the way to my phone with her eyes, "but that singing was really nice."

"Hehe… That's Kanon-sama for you. All her songs are like this," I took the headphones back and Ellie sat down, "So is this the first time you've heard any of her songs?"

"Yes… I had no clue that technology on earth was so advanced that you could listen to music without a radio," she marvelled. Where has this girl been living all her life?

"Well, technology is pretty much like that. Phones have gotten more advanced these last couple of years," her head cocked to the side.

"Phone…" she said it like it was a foreign word… Wait… could it be that she's never used a phone before? I can't imagine a time when I didn't have a phone, that I felt a surge of pity for her. I have no clue what I'd do without a phone, and this poor girl hasn't had one her entire life…

"You don't have a phone, do you?" my voice was sombre.

"Well, Okaa-sama gave me this yesterday," she pulled a clamshell phone out of her bag, "but I have no clue what it does. Is this a phone?"

"Yeah, that's a phone. Can I see it for a second?" She handed it over, so I quickly turned it on. Surprisingly, it was fully charged, so it actually did turn on. I scooted my chair over to her desk, so we could both see the screen, before explaining some of the functions.

As I was going through the menu, I realised that even though this was a completely new phone, someone had gone in and put in the family contacts already… Even Otamega's number was in here…

Finally, that freakin' email address!

"Nee… Ellie, can I put my email and number in here as well?" I said, but I could hear that my voice sounded strained. When I got her permission, I pulled both phones to me so she couldn't see the screen properly and quickly sent my details via inflared.I sent Otamega's to my phone the same way. With any luck, she didn't notice that last one. Explaining why I did that… it wouldn't be fun, to say in the least.

"A-are you okay, Chihiro-san? You look a bit red…" Ellie asked. And then came the urge to whack my head hard against the desk again. Ugh, why does this keep happening? I only got to remove that stupid bandaid on my head this morning, dammit! Give me a break already!

"I'm fine," I tried to reply calmly as I quickly, and hopefully subtly, shut my phone, "anyway, my details are in your phone now, so if you want, you can send me a message if you need anything," with that, I passed her back her phone.

I stood behind her desk for a few moments, as she played around with her newly acquired phone. Funnily enough, the concept of calling didn't excite her as much as the snake game did. She's pretty weird, though in a good way.

When class started, and Ellie reluctantly put her phone away, while me, being the rebel I am, pulled out my phone under my desk, looking at my newly acquired contact.

"Keima Katsuragi," I muttered out loud. I felt the back of my neck prickle… No surprise though, because he always gives me a bad feeling. I changed the name to Otamega, and weirdly enough, I felt better… I guess it grossed me out less.

I opened the contact, and sure enough, there was an email address as well. Shweet! No more worrying about that anymore.

Yeah, as soon as I get home, I'll send this to Chitose then delete it off my phone. After all, I have no need for his number or email myself. It's not like I'd send messages to the guy I despise, anyway.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated. It was an email from Ayumi.

"Stop playing with your phone! Nikaido's looking at you," I looked up, and Ayumi was right… Crap…

"Now that Kosaka has decided to join us, let's begin homeroom," I blushed and put my phone away. Eh, what's the big deal, anyway? At school, everyone uses their phones. No need to single me out, woman…

At lunch, me and Mappy-chan were discussing what happened at the gym yesterday. She also filled me in on what I had missed in my little period of inattention. For some reason, I was just more enthused by this conversation today…

Basically, from what I heard now, guys like presents, but nothing homemade, because it's too much effort and if he rejects you, it's a waste. Also, you don't have to say anything more than a simple 'I like you'. If you really have more to say, put it in a letter, and if he accepts the confession, you can give it to him. It's pretty simple, actually.

After that, we went on a tangent about Kanon, which Ellie ended up joining in. Apparently today's the first time she's heard her, but I'm pretty sure we've converted her into a full-blown fan. That's pretty cool, I guess.

Mappy-chan brought out a magazine even, which had some facts about Kanon which she showed to Ellie. I ended up reading along as well, because I don't usually buy that magazine, so I didn't know half these facts.

Like I didn't know that Kanon is 9 months younger than me, yet she's an idol and still passing school well enough to be in my grade. It kinda reminds me of what a loser I am.

Kanon has basically got half of Japan as her fans at the age of sixteen because she has an awesome voice and can dance and act cute. And if her career wasn't exhausting enough, she still passes school. In the magazine, it says that she only sleeps three hours a day, because she's so busy.

Me, on the other hand… I'm seventeen, and have basically done nothing so far, other than survive. My grades aren't the worst, but I still get sat down by my mother after my report comes. I'm not really good at sports either. I guess I'm a straight C student, but that isn't really something to be proud of.

Eh, at least I'm not a problem child like that Otamega idiot… Overall, even though I don't have much going for me, I'm usually a decent and polite person. I'm not changing the world like Kanon-sama has, but it's alright. There are plenty of years for me to try harder later on.

After all, we can't all be winners. Someone has to stay and clap them on.

As I was dwelling, the conversation had switched elsewhere, and somehow, Mappy-chan had Ellie backed into a corner. How did that even happen so fast?

"So is it true that your brother likes Aoyama-san?" Mappy-chan asked, although the way she was leaning over Ellie's desk just made more of an interrogation than a question. I could almost feel the disbelief on my face. What the hell kind of question is that?

"I… I don't think so… Kami-nii-sama only likes his games," poor Ellie stuttered out. I could see her sinking under her desk, like how she'd done two days ago when I'd read that letter. Mappy-chan didn't notice though, but at least she stepped away from the desk.

"That's weird... Because on the way to school today, I swear I saw a bicycle-drawn carriage with her in it being driven by him…" She started laughing, probably at how little sense that whole situation made, "Oh well, I guess I saw wrong then…"

"Yeah, there's no way that that idiot gamer has legs strong enough to hold anything more than his body weight," I laughed as well, "though can we talk about something else? You're scaring Ellie," I indicated at the girl, who was still cowering at her desk. She dropped the subject when she finally noticed Ellie.

Well, not that it mattered. Lunch break ended around then anyway.

For the rest of the day, I didn't feel at ease at all. I wonder if this whole Kanon thing is bugging me more than my brain lets on…

After school, me and Mappy-chan went to the gym again. Luckily, today, she didn't have club activities at all.

"Though I never did ask… What club are you in, Mappy-chan?" I asked on the walk there.

"Oh… I'm in the Judo club," she replied, "during middle school, weird stuff kept happening in my town, so I figured I may as well learn to defend myself if I never need it."

"What kind of town did you live in exactly? I mean, that you have to learn to protect yourself and all…"

"Hmm, it's like one of those towns in a shonen manga. "

I wondered about that… Don't shonen mangas have monsters and bad guys everywhere? I haven't really read manga in ages, so maybe I'm misunderstanding stuff… There's no way weird phenomenon exist around here anyway.

"So do you read a lot of manga then?" We stepped through the doors of the gym, and a weird chill went through my back. I guess as soon as we see Shinji-kun, we get back to that confession conversation.

"I dabble, mostly…" she ended off, because Shinji-kun was coming towards us with his basketball. His light hair flopped adorably as he ran to us.

"Hi Hiroko-chan… Chihiro-chan… Sorry, I can't help you guys today. We're playing a match in an hour, so the coach wants to have a pep-talk before we go."

"Yeah, you mentioned that yesterday…" Mappy-chan mumbled as Shinji-kun went back.

"I can't remember that. Did he say it while I was a bit distracted?"

"It was after practice…" Oh, so I wasn't there. I disappeared to go do homework. I twirled my fringe slightly, feeling a bit guilty.

"Yeah… Sorry about that. I ended up going home. I hope it wasn't too awkward for you," she scratched her neck and laughed lightly.

"Don't worry about it… We didn't really discuss much anyway…"

"I see…"

"Don't get me wrong though… Shinji-kun is a really nice guy. You've definitely got my blessing," we decided to leave then. I don't know if I'm just being weird, but it felt like he wanted to say more. She didn't though, so I'm probably wrong about that.

I still hadn't finished that homework from yesterday, so I went to the library, where the temptation that is television and magazines wasn't around.

Eh, this can't be too bad. At least this homework isn't trigonometry… It's circle geometry, which for some other people, is even worse. Luckily, I like shapes, so it doesn't bug me.

As I was going through the problems, there was a dual-circle example, and it kinda looked like a pair of glasses.

Hmm, who is Aoyama-san? I forgot to ask Mappy-chan about that… Not that it actually matters.

I don't care…

Still, I feel like tearing my hair out and the librarian on duty is giving me weird looks. Something is definitely wrong with my head nowadays.

* * *

**Hehe, Chihiro got his email address now. Well, I'm not sure how that phone transfer thing really works, other than what I saw in Hagenai, but I'm pretty sure that people transfer contact details through infrared, so it would make sense that Chihiro could transfer it easily, as long as she knows how the phone works.**

**I know it's never covered so much in canon that Elsie isn't knowledgeable abut the world, but I kinda imagine her looking at a phone blankly, wondering how it works. **

**I know currently, this is moving quite slowly, but soon enough, we'll get to Chihiro confessing. With any luck, I'm hoping it's within the next two chapters.**

**With that, I kinda imagine this story being more than thirty chapters long, because I'm moving more slowly than when I originally wrote this out. Eh, what can you do?**

**Anyhoo, I really do love Chihiro, so her being endgame has really boosted my interest, and by the looks of it, you guys as well. Long Live Chihiro!**

**I hope you enjoyed reading... I'll be back...**


	17. And so, I ate half a sandwich

**Whoop whoop! I'm back again with Chapter 17.**

**This one... It's weird. This is the closest I've gotten to having a filler chapter, because Shinji doesn't even appear in this chapter. Basically, this is class time.**

**Also, Chihiro hasn't talked with Keima for quite a bit, so of course, I wanted at least one fight between them today.**

**So enjoy then... I know I enjoyed writing this.**

* * *

At school, rumours were flying around like chunks of cake in a food fight. And most of them were based around one person… That guy…

Yesterday when I had heard it, I was sure Mappy-chan just saw it wrong, but apparently it's true. Mio Aoyama has a new chauffeur, and it's Otamega. He has a carriage attached to his bike and all. Unfortunately today, I ended up coming early, so I didn't get to see this first hand.

Still, I can't imagine this being true. There's no way Otamega's chicken legs can cycle all the way to school with a carriage behind him. Still, it wasn't only Mappy-chan who saw that, so who knows. It's probably true. Miracles can happen, and pigs can fly, if you throw them on a trampoline.

"Chihiro-saaan, good mooorning!" Ellie greeted me happily. Eh, how I would kill to be that cheery at eight in the morning.

"Morning, Ellie," I looked up from this week's issue of 'Girls Walker', "Did you see Kanon-sama on TV last night?" Her face fell.

"I didn't know she was on TV!" tears started welling up in her eyes from the missed opportunity, so I patted her head to assure her it was fine. Usually, there are reruns… like a lot of them… trust me, I know.

"Don't worry about it… They'll show that interview again on Friday night…" she seemed to cheer up at that, so I turned back to my magazine, "so what were you watching last night?"

"Anime!" she said happily, and I stopped midway through flipping a page, "it's more fun than I expected, because He… the place I lived before never showed it on TV," for a second, I just tried to remember when I last watched anime… In middle school, maybe?

"I don't really see anime, but was it any good?"

"Yeah, it was really relaxing. If you ever decide to watch it, it's called Tamayura…" after that, she went into a plot explanation, and I went into a daze. Anime really doesn't interest me at all anymore.

"Come to think of it, one of the characters sounded a lot like you, Chihiro-san," I put down my magazine.

"Hmm, is that so…" I leaned back in my chair… "Was she as cool as me?" I think my words flew over her, because her head just cocked to the side. Well, not that it really mattered. Homeroom started anyway.

Nikaido-sensei keeps staring at me, like I'm going to whip out a phone and start taking selfies right here. Go bug someone else, woman!

Once first period maths started, I started tuning out on Takahashi-sensei's lesson. I decided that it'd be way more fun to watch the rest of my friends. Mappy-chan and Miyako were diligently taking notes. Ayumi was catching up on sleep at her desk. Eh, what's new there...

Ellie was trying to take notes, but for some reason, sparks kept coming out of the edge of her pen. I wanted to tell her to stop pressing so hard, or there'd be a fire hazard in class, but somehow, my telepathy skills worked in this pin-drop silence, and she decided rather to use a pencil. Much better… At least the sparks stopped.

For a few moments, I wondered where Ellie could have possibly been in the past. It seems like anything that's around here gives her trouble, or plain fascinates her. I know technology is different overseas, but how can it be that different that she has no clue how things work here? I might ask about it, but I'm guessing it would be a sensitive topic. Most people don't like talking about their pasts.

I sighed and pulled out my mechanical pencil, pressing the top till the lead came out completely. After that, I put the lead back in and repeated the process…

I'm bored…

My eyes started drifting to the side, to where Otamega was drooling over his PFP, and I rolled my eyes.

Yep, he's being gross, as usual.

Still, he was in a really good position today. If I leaned down on my right arm a lot, I could actually see his screen. The writing was a bit small, but I could see that the girl on the screen was dressed as a ninja.

So there are two probable scenarios: A) She comes to kill you and you fall in love with her or B) She's here to protect you and you fall in love with her. Either way, there's love. I'm surprised he doesn't get bored of that.

If someone wants to make an exciting dating sim, they should have one without any romance whatsoever. That way, all the dweebs playing it will spend eternity trying to romance a girl who doesn't even have romance written in her code. I smiled at that thought, imagining Otamega playing every single route trying to find some romance, but there wouldn't be any…

Mwahahaha!

"Kosaka, if you think it's so much fun, why don't you answer the question on the board?"

My smile fell. Stupid teachers…

Luckily, in my study session on Monday, I covered this work, so I solved it. Still, after that, I tried to look a little attentive.

Eh, I really am bored…

By lunch, I was so lethargic that I didn't even want to get out of my desk to get some bread. Boredom is really exhausting, after all.

"Ayumi, can you buy me some bread?" I shouted to her as she was leaving with Miyako. She popped her head back through the door.

"Of course… and just for you, I'll get the chilliest bread I can find," she smiled cheekily before stepping out again. I wanted to protest, but I doubt it'd help anyway. Ayumi knows I don't like chilli food. Luckily, she's usually joking when she threatens that.

Ellie seemed weirdly surprised at that exchange.

"Are you and Ayumi-san friends?" she asked.

"Yeah, we've been friends for ages. Have you met her yet?"

"Not yet. Even though everyone introduced themselves to me, I haven't talked to her outside of that."

"In that case, why don't we make friends when she comes back?"

She nodded and pulled out a large bentou from her bag.

"Nee, Chihiro-san, if you could have an anime about you, what would it be about?" she asked, placing the clothed box on her desk.

"Hmm… I guess it'd be an action story… I'd be the hero…" I slouched over the desk, when my eyes fell on Otamega, who was still playing his games… "and Otamega would be the bad guy who I'd get to assassinate in the end," he stopped tapping the buttons, so he probably heard me. Eh, I didn't really care, either way. Somehow, the thought of assassinating Otamega just made me smile.

"You really don't like Kami-nii-sama, do you, Chihiro-san?" she started untying the knots on her bentou.

"Not at all," I shook my head with each word. Honestly, I'd say dislike might be a bit of an understatement.

"Don't open that here, idiot…" another voice came from the front.

I pulled myself off my desk with some effort to see what was going on. Otamega had taken Ellie's bentou and was tying up the checkered fabric. Ellie started tearing up.

"But I got up early to make this, Kami-nii-sama… I even made you one," she pulled out an equally large box out from nowhere. Otamega stood up and grabbed the second box as well, making a beeline to the door.

Not on my watch, you big bully!

I stood up and shut the door in front of him.

"Give Ellie back her lunch, Otamega…" I glared hard, he stopped walking, but he didn't seem bothered by that.

"Sure, I you want the school in a hundred pieces by the end of the day," he looked up over the boxes at me, and I felt myself falter. There's just something really striking about his eyes that I can't look at them.

"What the hell are you talking about?" I looked at the boxes.

"Take this then," he shoved one of the boxes into my hands, and I nearly staggered. How the hell is a box like that so heavy… or this warm… and why is it squirming?

"She cooks food like this at home as well, and it never ends well," I admitted defeat and gave him the box back before stepping to the side. For some reason, that box just gave me the heebie jeebies. I think that's called survival instinct.

I went back to my desk, and Ellie was tearing up next to me. I felt bad that I didn't stop him, but that box… my neck still hasn't stopped prickling after that.

"Nee, Ellie, what was in that box?"

"It was just fish…"

"Just fish?" I raised my eyebrows… Fish doesn't squirm that much, even if it's alive.

"Yes, It's Sluenpy fish… I even caught it so me and Kami-nii-sama could eat it together…" her tears continued, and I felt bad. Though what is Sluenpy fish? I'm not that good at geography, but I swear I haven't heard of a river like that.

"Did you cook it properly? It was shaking quite a lot in there…"

"Of course I did. Those fish are just really stubborn, but it's fine, because it means they'll stay warm the entire day…" Wait, does that mean you eat it while it's alive? That sounds… Ugh, I wanna go puke now.

From that moment, I vowed I would never touch any of Ellie's home-cooked food. I have no clue where she gets those ingredients from, but it sounds scary.

Luckily, by that point, Ayumi had arrived back from her bread route, because I felt a sandwich ricochet off my head and fall onto the desk. It was an Omelette Soba sandwich, which was rare as hell.

"Eeeeh! How did you get this, Ayumi?" I held it up like a trophy.

"It's simple when you're the 'Mai High Unguided Missile'," she shrugged, leaning on my desk. Man, I hope she didn't bulldoze all the students outside the bread stand.

"Wow, that's the first time in ages that they weren't sold out!" I was certain my eyes were sparkling. Still, it was so beautiful. I unwrapped the plastic foil around it.

Still, thanks to me, someone didn't have food now… I broke the sub in half, and handed the bigger side to Ellie.

"Are you sure, Chihiro-san?"

"Sure, it was my fault I didn't stop Otamega in the first place," I shrugged, but honestly, I was going to miss that half. Maybe I'll get some good luck and find one tomorrow.

"Thank you so much, Chihiro-san," she threw her arms around me, which was a bit awkward, considering I was sitting. Still, I accepted it happily. When she let go, I took a bite out of my side.

"Oh yesh, fank yuu, Ayubi," I said through a mouthful of delicious sauce and egg. She rolled her eyes and chastised me for talking with my mouth full.

Once we were all done eating, I introduced Ellie properly to Ayumi. Weirdly enough, Ayumi also liked the nickname I'd chosen. So I guess I'm not the only one who calls her Ellie anymore.

Towards the end of lunch, after Ayumi had gone back to her desk, Ellie decided to ask that anime question to Otamega.

"Simple… it'd be about me jumping between galge," he replied, playing his games again.

"So basically what you're doing now…" I inputted, and he glared back.

"No… I'll become 2D, so then I wouldn't have to deal with annoyances like you here," he humphed and went back to his game.

"Please… As if any girl would want to talk to you, 2D or otherwise…" I pulled a magazine out from my bag.

"Likewise… In fact, if you even appeared in my anime, you wouldn't even need a seiyuu, because it's not like anyone wants to hear your annoying voice anyway," I opened my magazine to the gossip side, because there'd always be pictures of cute celebrities. It would be way more fun to look at than that guy's messy head anyway.

"You know…" I jumped a little when Mappy-chan made a stealth entrance, "those lines would work a lot better if you guys weren't talking to each other right now."

I felt my stomach sink and a wave of heat rise up my face. Luckily, me reading a magazine did help, because I just adjusted it up so my cheeks were blocked. Still, it didn't stop me from trying to use words to save face.

"Eh, it doesn't mean I'm talking to him coz I want to… I just saw an opportunity to insult him and I took it," my voice was a tad higher than usual, but it still sounded casual.

"Yeah, I won't let any crappy real girls insult me without defending myself," I heard from in front of me.

"How about you look in the mirror before saying that, Otamega…"

After that, he didn't reply, so I felt pretty chuffed that I got the last word. Still, I've got a horrible feeling about this conversation…

* * *

**I've never really mentioned it, but it's conversation like these which make me ship Chihiro and Keima. Eh, I lie... Anything conversation Chihiro and Keima have are subjected to my very thick shipping goggles, so I love them all.**

**Except for Chapter 166... The ending was just painful.**

**Like I said, this was a pretty fun chapter to write. Especially the last part. While it turned out differently than compared to what was in my head, the effect is just the same.**

**That being said, I decided to reference some other anime in here, because I'm the author, so I can. Elsie mentions Tamayura, which is one of my favourite slice of life shows, and as I implied, Kana Asumi is also in that show. In fact, of all of her many roles I've heard, that's the closest I've heard to Chihiro's voice. In fact, the reason I watched that show in the first place is because the entire main cast has been in TWGOK at some point, so it's up to you guys whether you wanna check it out. I found it to be a very soothing show.**

**Also, Chihiro assassinating Keima is another reference. If you want to try guessing from where, feel free to throw it in a review, and I'll credit whoever gets it right in the next chapter, as well as the answer, if no one got it.**

**I wonder if I should make that a new thing now... Throw in a Kana Asumi reference and see who can guess where it's from. Any thoughts?**

**Well, I'm done for the night. Please review then...**


	18. And so, we ate popsicles

**And it has been exactly one week since I last posted. Usually, I'm a lot faster, but this chapter was crazy long.**

**Well, I took a bit of a departure of the usual recipe and changed the point of view. In fact, this is in Mappy-chan's P.O.V.**

**Seeing that it's been over 2 months since I posted the first chapter, I'll reintroduce her.**

**Hiroko "Mappy" Matsumiya was actually from Tamiki Wikaki's last manga, and she came here as a classmate of Keima's. In the anime, she's seen chatting with Chihiro, so of course, she's now Chihiro's friend in my story.**

**This chapter basically lies on the peripherals on the main story, but it'll definitely help move the story along. I hope you guys like it. Still, if you don't, feel free to complain. I haven't gotten many reviews for the last couple of chapters, so even a little flaming is welcome.**

**So, on to chapter 18, which incidentally is double the word count of the usual chapter.**

* * *

"Eeeeh!" we both turned back to Chihiro, who was looking at her phone with wide eyes. She looked up and bowed.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go. Something came up at home…" she then ran off.

"I wonder if everything is okay…" Shinji wondered, hugging the ball to him.

"With any luck… I'll ask her tomorrow…" I turned back to him and punched the ball up and out of his hands, "though let's have one more game before I have to go…"

He smirked and tried to lunge for the ball, but I stepped to the side.

"You know that'd count as traveling, right?" I shrugged and chucked the ball back at him.

"How about we just shoot hoops and whoever gets the most in treats the other to crepes," I mentioned as an idea… It was probably a bit stupid, considering he does play basketball a lot, but at least that gave me an excuse to hang out with him after club. Of course, his face lit up at the sign of a challenge.

"Eh, why not?" he shrugged and threw the ball, and it swished through the net with ease, "free food for me…"

"I'm not going to make it easy, you know?" I picked up the ball, "I've gotten quite a bit of practice now," even though my ball did jump off the rim, it still went in. Now, to put my plan in action…

"You may talk big, but a week ago, you barely knew how to throw that ball," as he was about to jump up and throw the ball, I grabbed at his side, causing him to yelp and his ball went flying off, landing nowhere near the net. I know tickling is a pretty low move, but I still felt a bit chuffed.

"Hey! No fair!" he pouted…

"You're a boy… stop whining…" I turned away, because all of a sudden, I could feel my face heating up. I hope we weren't attracting too much attention here. Yeah, I probably wouldn't try that again.

For the next ten minutes, we played fairly, but obviously, he still won, but the margin wasn't that big. After that, I had to go. I guess I still got lucky, because Judo starts later than most clubs, so I can still hang out here on most days, at least for a while.

"So when will the Great me be getting his crepes?" he pushed his chest out proudly. Of course, someone had to shove him off his high horse, so I took that opportunity.

"How about we meet at the gate at five, then I'll get you your crepes… Someone's feeling modest today…"

"I know, right?" He flipped his hair dramatically, "I'm so modest… I haven't even commented on how good-looking I am, or how skilled I am…" I was both impressed and disturbed that despite him nudging his head to keep his light hair flying, he could still spin the ball he had on his finger. Just the whole look was bizarre.

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that…" I flicked the ball off his hand, which threw him off, "I'll be off then, Shinji…"

Before he could reply, I'd run out of the gym. When I arrived at judo, Natsumi was waiting for me.

"Aah, Hiro-chan… I see you just came from basketball practice…"

"Err… How did you know that?" we started walking to the changing room.

"There's two reasons… 1) You've been going nearly every day for the past week and 2) you're blushing, so obviously, you met Akagi-kun…"

"I-I'm not blushing…" I retorted, and she pulled a mirror out of nowhere… Unfortunately, she was right. I glared ay the mirror, but it wasn't changing anything.

"You're so cute… So are you going to ask him out?"

"Of course I can't… Chiro-chan likes him… I'm supposed to be helping her," I groaned, feeling really horrible.

"Chiro-chan… the one who barely shows any interest to him…" her eyebrow went up.

"Don't be like that… She says she likes him, and I said I'd support them… Besides, how do you know all this? I don't say so much about this, do I?"

"I've got sources…" she replied cryptically… "Have you ever thought she might be lying to you? Actions speak louder than words, after all…"

"I trust her more than that… I'm going to help her, and that's all."

"That's noble… Putting your friendship above your feelings… Maybe you should ask her once more."

"Butt out, will you?" I glared hard at her. Luckily, she dropped it for the whole of practice. Still, as I was leaving, she gave me a huge smile.

"Good luck with your date," I turned back to protest, but she had run off already.

Ugh, I think how fast gossip goes through this school is kind of scary. Besides, it's not a date…

Still, I said the exact same thing about when Chihiro and Shinji went to the arcade together…

Ugh, maybe I should ask if Chihiro can come in my place so I can stop feeling so guilty. I pulled out my phone and called her. She picked up after a few rings.

"_Chiro-chan, are you doing anything right now?"_

"_Not really… Why?"_

"_I was wondering… do you want to get some crepes with Shinji-kun?"_

"_S-sorry, I can't do that now. My brother got sick at school, so I'm babysitting him now…"_

"_That's unfortunate… I guess maybe another time then…"_

"_Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow then…"_

"_Okay, I hope your brother gets well. See you tomorrow."_

I shut my phone and sighed. I was maybe hoping that Chihiro could conveniently run into us at the stand then I could leave them there… I wasn't thinking properly before, considering I suggested that idea in the first place.

I know I find Shinji's company enjoyable, and I want to meet him, but I'm just making the situation worse. Chihiro likes him, so I can't. I refuse.

Shinji was waiting by the entrance, playing with something, when I got there. As I approached, he quickly shoved it behind his back.

"I was looking in my bag, and I realized I forgot my wallet at home this morning. I can't treat you today, after all."

"It's fine… I can pay today, and you can treat me twice sometime later…"

"It's alright. I don't want to be any trouble. We'll definitely do this tomorrow," I cringed. Why do I keep making these promises? I wonder if he understood my predicament, because he didn't push any further.

"So I'll see you tomorrow then, right?" he asked as we started walking off.

"Of course… We'll still get crepes tomorrow…" I replied. Even though I was feeling a bit crappy, we still do get to talk a little longer. Our houses are in the same direction, after all.

Throughout the five minute walk, he didn't move his hands from behind his back. At one road, we finally parted, because the road leading to his house was the one going uphill while mine went down. I sighed, a bit relieved as I walked on.

"Nee, Hiroko," I heard from above me. I looked up.

"I wanted to give you this," he held his right arm over and dropped something. It was something white and papery, and because the wind was blowing lightly, it almost floated down into my hands. It was a little origami crane…

"Yeah, I was making that while I was waiting for you… You may as well keep it…"

"Err… I-… Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I have way too many of these at home…" he continued walking up, so I could only see his back, "I'll see you tomorrow then…" he waved.

"Thanks… See you…"

I looked at the paper crane which was in my hands. It was crisp and perfectly folded, and even the way it flew down just reminded me of the real deal… I had no clue that paper folding was his thing, but honestly, I was even more attracted to him.

I'm freaking lying to myself if I say I don't have a crush on him.

I groaned and continued walking, making it fly alongside me, like how I've seen some children do with toy airplanes. Despite it being paper, it still held it's own against the wind and it was pretty fun to play with.

"I'm home," I called as I entered the house and took of my shoes. My mum stuck her head out of the kitchen.

"Welcome back, go put your stuff down and come have dinner," I put the paper crane on my desk and left for dinner.

When I came back, the crane was still sitting there. I was pleasantly surprised, because I imagined my little sister may have started using it as a chew toy. Usually anything in my room receives that treatment from her.

I pulled out my Japanese history books, because Nikaido-sensei had been particularly sadistic and set three pages of homework. No surprise though… That Katsuragi kid always gets on her nerves, and today, he'd gotten at least three of his consoles confiscated.

Still, as I started, I started looking at the crane again, which felt like it was almost watching me. So I wasted another 10 minutes inspecting it again and wondering why he decided to give it to me. Still, I noticed something odd on the wings… like writing… It was pencil, so I hadn't seen it when I was outside.

Still, the folding obscured most of the writing, so I ended up unfolding it in curiosity.

I held my breath as I pulled apart that beautiful bird, and when I had done it and read the light pencil writing, I was screaming inside my head, both in anger and in happiness. I regretted unfolding it, but nothing made me happier than what it said inside… On the other hand, I was pissed… at the situation… at him… at Chihiro… at me for being so happy…

I guess that crush wasn't unrequited after all… Shit…

I ended up staying up most of the night, wondering what I would do. It was my fault that I had convinced Chihiro to confess to him, and by involving myself, I started liking him, and vice-versa. How the hell do you even deal with a love triangle like that?

When I woke up, even my mother was concerned… Mum's always concerned about me though, so what's new. Still, I felt really crappy and staying bed probably wouldn't help. Only talking to Chihiro really would help. My mother wasn't really happy sending me to school, pale-faced and with bags under my eyes, but somehow, I managed to escape.

"WAAAH!" I heard as soon as I entered the classroom. Seemingly, that had come from her, as she was nearly tearing her bag apart, looking for something.

"What happened this time, Chiro-chan?" I walked over to her desk. She looked up, hey eyes wavering slightly.

"I left my homework on my desk today…" I was surprised she cared… Usually, missed homework was barely an issue with her.

"Look, we only have Nikaido-sensei after lunch. How about I lend you my homework and you copy it?"

"Really?" she held my hands admiringly, "you'll do that for me?"

"Sure…" I smiled… That's the least I could do, considering what I'd have to say for her later. I'm pretty sure my expression changed, but Chihiro seemed too relieved to notice.

"I love all you people in glasses… You're all so nice and smart," she nodded toward me and Kanon, who had been coming to school since yesterday, until someone struck her mind and she frowned… She looked forward, "well, there's always exceptions to the rule…" I followed her gaze, and it landed on the boy just in front of her on the right. It was that Katsuragi guy who was the one who pissed of Nikaido-sensei in the first place. Just thinking about the three hours I spent on that work made my blood boil. Still, there's no point getting mad. We need a distraction…

"Nee, Chiro-chan… Have you ever wanted to wear glasses?" she thought for a second.

"I don't know… If I wanted to go for glasses, I'd go for a whole new look. I'd probably grow my hair out and tie a little bit of it to the side… And I'd probably go for rounder glasses like yours, because rectangular ones look stupid. And, of course…"

She continued, but something distracted me… something just felt a bit off about this conversation.

I didn't really get time to think about it, because Kodama-sensei came for English. Chihiro finished and I went to my desk.

School isn't that boring, but for some reason, I felt my mind drifting to Shinji. I guess I could probably withhold giving him an answer, seeing that he doesn't know I unfolded it. I guess it's a good thing we'll be going to the library at lunch.

Four hours later, Chihiro was frantically scribbling notes, while I was sitting next to her, kind of bored. I looked through my phone aimlessly, hoping for some new picture to pop up.

"Chiro-chan… Can I look at the pictures on your phone?" she shrugged and handed it over, somehow not breaking her stride.

With any luck, she'll have some funny pictures of something. I opened her pictures folder. It was pretty standard… some cute celebrities… Kanon… Funny pictures that have probably been forwarded all over japan… Until I came to one picture… a head filled with multiple hairclips…

Well, considering it was brown hair, maybe Chihiro had just been bored and put every clip she'd owned in her hair. Eh… I continued. I found a really cute picture of a cat, but when I tried forwarding it to myself, I came across a name I recognized…

"Otamega?" That's the nickname most people have for that Katsuragi guy, right?

Chihiro shot up and looked at me fearfully.

"W-what are you talking about?" It was the weirdest thing. I could almost see the blood rising up her face. I was now a hundred percent sure that I wasn't supposed to see that.

"Oh… I was just thinking about how pissed I am at him, because now we had to do all that stupid work…" And just like that, she relaxed. She went back to writing.

"Yeah, one day, I hope Nikaido kicks his ass all the way to the moon. That jerk…" she trailed off as her concentration went back to my answers. Luckily, that left me to my own devices… or rather, her device.

I forwarded it and went back to her pictures. The one with the clips came up again. Though considering what I'd just seen, I looked at the picture more closely. It looked like it was taken in a classroom, considering there was a desk and part of the board in the picture. So, if this is school, there has to be school uniform. Still, the uniform was off. If that's Chihiro, then she should be wearing the girl's uniform, which is pink on the shoulder region… In the picture though, that part is maroon. Simply speaking, the person in the picture isn't wearing a girl's uniform, but either it's a boy's uniform, or some other casual clothes. Of course, the last straw which convinced me this wasn't Chihiro was the dark line crossing the side of the face… glasses… And they were the rectangular type that Chihiro said she hated…

All fingers point at Katsuragi here…

Suddenly, a huge rush or relief hit me. Considering she has his number, and she's even close enough to him to decorate his hair with clips, they might be going out. Considering how she reacted, it's pretty clear that their relationship is supposed to be secret. That's why they always pretend to bicker in class and ignore each other.

Still, I'm her friend, right? Was the reason she didn't tell me because of how everyone in class seems to dislike Katsuragi, and she didn't want to be judged for liking a weirdo like him… I have no clue, but I guess I can ask her. I shut her phone and handed it back. And just in time as well, because the bell for the ending of lunch went off. She sighed and packed her stuff away.

"So Mappy-chan… Did you find any pictures you liked?" she asked as she picked her phone off the desk.

"I did like a couple, so I forwarded them to myself."

"That's good…" she pulled her bag over her arm and got up before handing me my answers back.

"You sure have a lot of pictures of kittens though… Are you going to become a crazy cat lady?" She laughed.

"Nee-san loves kittens. She always forwards those cute pictures to me."

In class, as we were handing in those assignments in, I looked at those two. They didn't say a word to each other the entire time. Katsuragi seemed more enthralled with his game and Chihiro was chatting with Katsuragi's little sister.

Come to think of it, they don't really talk… The only time I can remember was when they were arguing about how they didn't want to talk to each other… I'd inadvertently embarrassed those two when I interjected… Come to think of it, I had been pretty confused… though if they were secretly dating, it actually make sense why they wouldn't want to be caught chatting during class.

Though wait, there was also that time a few days back when Elsie was worried about her brother, because he was down… Chihiro asked him if his 2D girlfriend dumped him… True, she said it a bit maliciously, but she was worried about him.

They actually made a pretty sweet couple. I wonder why Chihiro would want to date Shinji then…

Well, I guess I'll ask her today.

Chihiro seemed exhausted when we left the class at the end of the day. I guess that makes both of us. Still, the faster we have this conversation, the better. We ended up getting popsicles at the convenience store.

"You know I'll support you guys, right?" I said. Considering she had no clue what's been on my mind most of the day, it made sense she had no idea what I was referring to.

"What are you going on about, exactly?" How do I exactly put this?

"You've been doing a good job hiding it, but you don't have to anymore."

"I still don't get you. Just spit it out already!"

"Well… about you and Katsuragi…" The frozen chunk of juice on a stick fell out of her hand, and she looked at it sadly for a moment before looking up at me. She took a deep breath.

"I don't really get what you're getting at…" even though her voice was calm and not shaking, I think I hit a nerve, because a look of dread started coming onto her face.

Only then did I realize how low I had fallen. I was basically prodding at something I knew she wanted as a secret so I could feel better that I wasn't being a bad friend by liking the guy she said she liked. Ironic, huh… I became an even worse friend today. I invaded her privacy and now, I'm going to break her trust. I deserve however she'll treat me after this.

"Look, Chihiro…" my head fell so she couldn't see me, "I know you'll probably hate me after this, but please hear me out first," My popsicle was dripping, but I knew soon enough, that wouldn't be the only thing. I could feel that horrible lump forming in my throat.

"What are you talking about?" I could hear the concern in her voice, and I felt even worse, "I'd never hate you…"

"Trust me, this one's bad…" my eyes started filling up with tears, but I blinked them away, "the truth is… I like Shinji-kun…" by now, the first round had started, and my glasses were starting to get wet again.

"You like… Shinji-kun…"

"Yeah… And it only got worse… because he… gave me a letter… yesterday… saying he liked me as well…" I gulped in between words, but my eyes wouldn't stop tearing up.

"So how did you respond?" I could tell her voice was getting harder. She's getting angry now… Not that I deserve anything else.

"I didn't… I only saw it last night… but I think I'm going to say no…"

"Stop being stupid!" I felt her hands grab me, and she pulled me up so I was looking straight at her. She had a glare that could kill…

"You like him, right? What's stopping you from saying yes?!" another tear slid down my face… then I occurred to her… "it's me, obviously… dumbass…" she muttered.

"Look, I'm not sure if this will make you feel better, but I definitely don't like Shinji-kun like that," and almost as if she was steeling herself, she took one hand off me and pulled out her phone.

"Y-you see… This is the idiot I like…" through my tears, I saw she was showing me that picture… the one with the hair clips.

"K-katsuragi?" I hiccupped.

"Yeah… I was convinced that there was no way I could like him… He's a four-eyed dweeb who only plays video games… what kind of girl is attracted to that?"

"Not many girls…" I replied. I could feel the tears drying up a little.

"Exactly… I didn't want to like him… Even now, I don't want to like him… Still, I've got to accept it now, because I'm causing trouble for you guys…"

Despite it all… Despite me being the one who's in the wrong here… She's still worried about me. I started crying again.

"Please don't cry…" she nearly begged, "I don't like seeing people cry…"

I wiped my eyes with my sleeve, which helped.

"So you're not mad?"

"Of course not! You like what you like, and I have first hand experience in that. I'm not going to get in the way… anymore, at least…"

By that point, I just gave up on the melting mass, so I threw it away and threw my arms around Chihiro. She seemed a bit surprised, but she returned it just as warmly.

After a few moments, I remembered something.

"What's the time right now?"

Chihiro opened her phone.

"It's quarter to five now."

"Shit… Shinji-kun…"

She smiled and let go after that long hug.

"Go get him…" she smiled and indicated towards the school. I gave her another quick hug and ran off.

"And wash your face before you go there… You look like a wreck…" she called behind me. I didn't turn back though. I really was running late.

Luckily, I found a tap outside the school, where I rinsed my face and wiped my tear-smeared glasses. In any case, I'd beaten him to the entrance, so I quickly brought out some scrap paper.

I finished before he arrived, which was a relief.

"Hiroko? I thought you wouldn't come today…"

"Sorry, I had some stuff I needed to do first… We'll definitely get crepes today though."

I pulled my hidden hands in front, which were tucked inside the paper beak of my two minutes of work.

"Say… do you wanna play a game?" I held it out to him.

"Is that… one of those paper fortune games? I haven't seen one of those in ages…"

"Yeah, origami isn't a strong point of mines, but I wanted to make something. So here… let's play," he laughed, but humored me, choosing the colours and the numbers without too much eye rolling.

"So what's my fortune?"

"Why not check it for yourself?" I held the unfolded paper so he could read.

"Your affections won't go unrequited… In fact, why don't you ask her out now?" he read out loud, and I felt my cheeks heat up again.

"Yeah, I noticed that the crane yesterday had a message inside of it, so I ended up taking it apart…" he was barely listening though, because he was unfolding the rest of the fortunes.

"They're all the same…" he noted, "that's one crappy fortune teller…" I pulled a face, but he just grabbed my hand.

"Still, I haven't seen a better one…"

And just like yesterday, that weird woosh of air sent our hair flying… I guess summer really is coming.

"Shinji… you kind of need a haircut…"

"Isn't it a bit early in this relationship for you to dictate…"

* * *

**This was weirdly enough, this was quite a fun chapter to write. Basically, I've been on a writing marathon all day, and my mum keeps telling me to study, but what can you do. I'll be extra good tomorrow and study hard.**

**From the last chapter, that reference comes from the anime _Unbreakable Machine Dolls, _which is the only other anime I know in which Hiro Shimono and Kana Asumi acted in together. In fact, during their first meeting, she said she'd assassinate him. Eh, I'm the only weirdo who really notices that.**

**Still, this chapter had another reference which Chihiro talking about what she'd be like with glasses. Have a go if you want.**

**Well, I'm done or this chapter. Next time, Chihiro will be back as the main character. **

**Till then, have a good week. Ja ne**


	19. And so, I watched a concert(R)

**Okay, so as if last chapter wasn't long enough, this is 1000 words more than that... Good job, Author...**

**Yeah, so here's Chapter 19. Good luck reading all this...**

When I got home, I threw myself into bed. For some reason, I just felt too depressed to do anything else. And I was even sure why I should be depressed.

When I was snuggly covered and warm, I decided to organize my thoughts so I wouldn't act weird tomorrow. So I guess I don't have to confess to Shinji-kun now, which is probably good for me. I didn't really like him like that, anyway. Still, I ended up confessing to her about who I actually liked, which will probably end up having some repercussions as well.

I think the second point is probably what's bugging me. For the past two weeks, I've been trying to convince myself that I was mistaken… I have no actual reason to like Katsuragi, after all. We don't even speak, and when we do, it's usually short and angry words. But now that I said it out loud, I can't just ignore that anymore like I have been before.

Still, I couldn't really not say anything. For one, she was going to reject Shinji-kun if I didn't. Plus, it actually seemed like she knew about it already.

"I'll support you guys, huh?" I muttered. I felt my pocket vibrate, and speak of the devil. Mappy-chan was calling.

"Hi hi," I replied cheerfully, adjusting myself so I was lying flat on my back.

"Chiro-chan," she replied, equally cheerful. I guess it's no surprise, considering she was with Shinji-kun.

"So how was your date?" I asked teasingly.

"I don't kiss and tell, you know," she laughed.

"So you two did kiss…" I used her own words against her, and she nearly sputtered.

"I-I didn't say that… Stop putting words in my mouth."

"Well, you kinda did say that…"

"Yeah… I guess I had that coming. That's not why I called though."

"Fine… I'll let it go. So what's up?"

"I was just thinking… Are you going to confess to Katsuragi then? Because I had an idea…"

She proceeded on explaining her idea. I sat up, because I wasn't really expected to input now. Still, for the forty seconds I listened, this idea sounded more and more impossible.

"You can stop right there… That's way too much effort for something I don't even know he'll accept. Besides, it's going to be such a pain to actually construct something like that."

"Aww, but it would be awesome. Also, I think he'll appreciate that you actually thought of his hobby, and it'll give you brownie points in his eyes. I can't even think why he'd reject you if you did that."

"It's not a bad idea… It's just going to be helluva difficult to try constructing a PFP out of wood."

"You actually know what his consoles are called. That's adorable…"

"Stop right there… I know because my brother has one of those, not because I was being some weird creepy stalker…"

Suddenly, one of my previous thoughts came back. I guess now is as good a time as any to ask.

"Come to think of it, how did you know I liked Katsuragi?" she snorted.

"Actually, I thought you guys were secretly dating…" it was my turn to laugh at that thought. Me and him on a date… Wahahahahahahahahahaha! Still, that didn't answer my question.

"You know that doesn't answer anything, right?"

"I was getting to that when you started cackling like a hyena. As for that, it was because I saw his contact details on your phone."

I guess I had that one coming… I did let her check the pictures in my phone. After I had gotten that email address to Chitose, I forgot to delete that contact… or rather, I didn't really want to delete it. I really had no use for it, but I didn't want to get rid of it… I sound like one of those hoarder people.

"Weirdly enough, there actually is a story to that. I was holding onto that for someone else…" Even though that was the truth, it still sounded totally lame to me.

"Hmm… A likely story…" I could almost hear her smug smile over the phone, "you should be honest and just admit you wanted his number."

"And do what with it, exactly? I'm not really going to call him, am I?"

"And that's why you need to tell Katsuragi how you feel."

"You sound really confident that he'll like me back…"

"Well… I can't be certain, but if you want anything to change, you'll have to at least try…"

"That's true, I guess… I'm on board with whatever you plan…"

"About the PF…"

"Except the PFP idea… that just sounds a bit overkill…"

"Fine… forget the PFP… You seem like the shy type, so you may as well write that love letter… That way, we can get straight to it tomorrow."

"You are way too excited about this… Though how am I the shy type? I'm perfectly confident!" I said in mock outrage. She laughed.

"Look, the letter is just a backup. If you have no clue what to say, at least you've articulated it somewhere…"

Actually… That's not too bad an idea. I guess this is kind of like Shinji's explanation which he gave us… a week ago?

"I guess I can do that…"

"Cool… So you should bring the completed thing tomorrow, just in case."

"Eeeeh! But tomorrow is so soon…"

"You know what… maybe it is a bit soon. At least just try. If the words come, you should write them, but if they don't, I wouldn't worry about it. It's not like the world is ending tomorrow anyway…"

"I'll do it!" I punched a fist into the air, feeling a bit more motivated.

"Atta girl… We'll discuss it more tomorrow then. I'll leave you to your composing for now…"

"I'm not making a song, you know…" I said flatly, putting my legs on the floor and finally getting up.

"I know… Composing was probably the wrong word there, but whatever… I'll be off then… It seems like it's dinner time."

"Eh, I was messing with you. See you tomorrow then."

Freaking hell, it's late! Did I take a nap when I came here? I can't have been thinking for two hours, can I? I always assumed my brain would break with that amount of thinking…

I decided to give my brain a break and go take a bath. It seemed to work, because I was really motivated to start. I didn't even dry my hair before I sat down at my desk and wrote.

That's all I did. For once, I stopped trying to organise my thoughts and let the paper do it for me.

"_Errr… Katsuragi…" I said cautiously as I approached him on the roof. He lowered his PFP._

"_What is it?" he grumbled. I held my present and letter out to him._

"_I-I like you," I tried to say loudly, but the nervousness was starting to leak in my voice, and I just sounded uncertain. He opened the letter calmly, not even a hint of a blush on his face, unlike me, who was probably doing a tomato impersonation in front of him._

"_I know. I like you too," he shrugged, his eyes moved quickly as he scanned the letter, "this is pretty good, actually… Of all the games I've played, I've only seen 27 love letters better than this, while about 50 were more clichéd and boring than this," he put the present and the folded letter down next to him and patted the seat next to him. He continued his game._

"_Is this supposed to be a date now?" I was a bit confused. That was easier than I expected, but is this like how a date is supposed to be like?_

"_Sure. Seeing that we're dating now, even hanging out like this counts…"_

_So we went out… Through the rest of high school and college… Once we had graduated from college, he asked the big question._

"_Can I get your parents blessing to marry you?" he asked as we walked hand in hand one day. Conveniently, I was going to visit my parents that day, so he came. Come to think of it, he hasn't really met my parents… I think he's met my mother once or twice, but this was the first time it was something so meaningful._

_Katsuragi was bowed respectfully when my parents came in. He sat up and looked them square in the face._

"_Dad?" his eyebrows flew up in surprise._

_It took a moment for that one word to sink in and we looked at each other in horror._

_I guess that's the reason we look so similar…_

I shot up, banging my head against the lamp which was next to me. Luckily, the bulb didn't break, but I could feel the heat from how long that lamp had been on. It's midnight already.

It's just a dream, Chihiro… You're not actually related to Katsuragi…

This is not good. My backs hurt from having slept at my desk and my brain is shot, both from that dream and the exhaustion. It's been a rough day, so I should just sleep. I shoved the mostly completed love letter into my bag and called it a night.

_I stared at the crumpled ball for a moment before unfolding it. This place was still as colourless and empty as before. Absolutely nothing had changed._

_Actually, I was wrong. The text had changed._

'_YOU WILL NOT FIND WHAT YOU ARE WAITING FOR IF YOU JUST WAIT. DRIVE ME'_

_Eh… I guess I do have to do some work after all… Still, I don't want to ride this. Despite my reluctance, I felt my leg swing over the seat._

_I somehow got it moving… _

I woke up to another annoyance. I guess I forgot to set my alarm, so Chitose came to wake me up. That didn't really explain the weird smile on his face.

"Nee-chan, what were you dreaming about?" he looked concerned. For the life of me, I couldn't recall what… Something about a motorcycle, wasn't it? I yawned and sat up.

"No clue… does it really matter?"

"For the last two minutes, you've been muttering 'he's my brother… I kissed my brother" in your sleep," I choked on my spit. Of all the dreams I've ever had, that's the one he'd hear about. This universe rocks at putting me in needlessly embarrassing situations.

"Nee-chan… I hope you don't have some brother complex…" I glared at him, but his smirk only got wider. Evil little kid…

"Wow, someone has a really high opinion of themselves…" I pulled myself out of bed and started steering my brother out of my room, "that was your imagination… I dreamt of that motorcycle again…" he shoved his bare heel into the carpet.

"A-are you alright?" he asked, his teasing voice completely dropped and he looked back. I wondered for a second before I remembered why he'd be concerned.

"Yeah… It wasn't that one…" my right hand naturally gravitated to the side of my stomach.

"Oh… that's good…" he looked a bit abashed, "I'm going to get breakfast, so get dressed as well," he tried to say cheerfully, but I could tell that he was walking on eggshells. He's probably still worried…

Come to think of it, both those motorcycles looked kind of the same. My dream was in black and white, so it just as well could have been blue. I shrugged and shut the door, because in the end, it doesn't matter.

After the whole morning routine, I grabbed a fresh sheet of pink paper from inside my desk drawer. I'm not going to get time to finish that love letter now, but at least I can probably do it at school. I carefully put it in my bag so it wouldn't get crinkled. Still, it's A5, so at least I can put it between one of my textbooks.

Before homeroom, I decided to give it another try. There were only a few students and I didn't have anything better to do anyway. I pulled out the paper I was writing on before and started reading it.

Wow… sleepy me is kind of an idiot. Some of the characters I used were weird, or just plain wrong. At least this was a rough draft.

After some editing and rewriting, I was actually starting to feel proud of it. It was honest and heartfelt, and I didn't even steal too many lines from those soppy romances I sometimes watch on TV. All I have to do now is copy it neatly on the coloured paper, and it'll be ready. Man, I really hope this works.

As I was digging through my bag, I saw something move behind my head.

"Aah, Kosaka. How diligent of you to be writing notes before first period even starts," my head snapped back hard enough to hurt.

Still, whiplash is the least of my problems, because Nikaido-sensei picked up the letter from my desk, and I was too shocked to stop her.

"Let's see here…" she started reading. By this point, I was too damn mortified to say anything, and my throat was closed up. All I could do was look blankly at my desk as my head started spinning.

This can't be happening, right? A chill ran down my spine and to everywhere else, freezing me even further.

"I see… So it's like that…"

I looked up fearfully. I guess during that time I was writing, homeroom had started, because everyone was in their seats, looking at me. This is the kind of attention that makes me want to climb into my desk drawer and hide for the rest of my life.

"In fact, this is quite interesting… Katsuragi-imouto…" I turned to look at Ellie, who shot out of her desk nervously, nearly sending her chair toppling as well. Man, this is not good.

"It seems like some justice is in order. Why don't you read this out loud?"

Oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit…

My arms were still frozen in dread, but I knew I had to do something. I stiffly stood up and grabbed at the letter. Luckily, she didn't expect it, so I managed to grab it and crumple it into a ball before she could react.

I couldn't read the look on her face, but I'm ninety nine percent certain it isn't happiness.

"Kosaka, I'll see you in the faculty room during the lunch break," she said coldly. I nodded. That's all I could really do, considering I just pissed off the teacher who could kick my ass. Even worse… she could call my parents…

Oh God, I feel sick.

Class went on as usual, but I still didn't get any better. In fact, my dread was only getting worse as it got closer to lunch time.

"I'm really sorry…" I could feel tears forming in my eyes, and I was bowed down so low that the only way I could go any lower was if I went into dogeza… which I was actually willing to do, if it meant that Nikaido didn't call my mother.

"Well, how you reacted was understandable… So stand up straight, already," she didn't actually look that angry. In fact, she actually looked a bit sheepish. That's a relief. At least my parents won't need to get involved.

"So what's my punishment?" I sighed… May as well get that over and done with…

"I'm willing to overlook this incident if you don't write any more notes to Takahara or Matsumiya in class."

"Done!" I said easily. That was more painless than I expected. She smiled, and her cold look melted a little.

"That was simple. Now if only I had something to blackmail Katsuragi into paying attention…" I blanched. I was worried about getting in trouble, that I completely forgot the subject matter of that letter. Maybe I can just slink away now…

"So you're into the bad boys…" she smirked, and I stopped trying to subtly walk away.

"Bad boys?" I repeated

"Well, he's more of a problem child than a leather jacket wearing biker, but he still has no regard for rules, so it's close enough," I thought about that for a second.

"I wouldn't categorise him as that… He's just annoying and all he cares about is his games…"

"Tell me about it…" she mumbled, and I tried to understand what she meant, "still, it must be nice being a teenager…" was it just me, or did that sound wistful? I don't know. I imagine things get better as you become an adult…

"How old are you, Sensei?" I asked, surprising myself as well.

"Didn't anyone tell you it's rude to ask a lady's age?" I shrugged, still a bit curious, "I'm 23…" I went a bit slack-jawed at that. Considering how well she held herself and how she acted, I expected she'd at least be 25 or older.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she snapped. I guess my surprise showed through quite obviously.

"I… I guess… I expected you'd be older…" her eyes narrowed, "I mean, you just seem so mature and experienced..." her cold look was starting to come back, "okay, I'm just digging my grave deeper… I'll leave now."

And so I sleekly made my exit, like a cat… Well, I tried, but I caught my shoulder on the door, which hurt like hell. Still, I was finally out of that awkward conversation, and with any luck, she won't mention it to anyone else.

When I returned to class, I noticed Kanon-sama was sitting at her desk, alone. Considering she's been here for the past two days, I haven't talked to her at all. Still, it's nerve-wracking… talking to a real life celebrity.

If this morning wasn't bad enough, I'd reach a whole new peak of embarrassing if I started fangirling in front of her. Still, I should at least introduce myself. And be cool…

"You're Kanon Nakagawa, right?" I stood by her desk, trying to be friendly.

"That's me…" she smiled sweetly, pushing up her glasses, which had slipped down her nose, "you're in my class, right?"

"Yeah, I'm Chihiro Kosaka, so you can call me Chihiro… or Kosaka… or whatever you want, really," well, so much for being cool. I patted down my hair nervously.

"It's nice to meet you, Chihiro-san," she said with a blinding smile, "so do you ever listen to my music?" Just a little bit… just on loop for at least an hour a day as I do my homework… be cool, dammit!

"Just a little bit… Since you won the Newcomer's Music Award, you've been on the radio a lot, but I'm not one of those crazy fans who know your birthdate and you BWH ratio or anything…" Seriously, it's like my brain hates me, because my denial was way too specific… No one's going to fall for that.

"Oh, so you're not really a fan," she said quietly, and I swear that I almost saw her disappear. I blinked my eyes and rubbed them, seeing what the hell was wrong with me. Even after that, she looked like she was blending into the chair.

"OY!" I felt a hand clap on my shoulder, I looked behind me, and it was Katsuragi.

Of course, given what happened this morning, he was the last person who I wanted sneaking up on me.

"What, Otamega?" I glared. He still didn't remove his arm.

"Tell her you like her songs, idiot!" he hissed loud enough that I heard. I don't know if I've become super aware over the last day, but the weight on my shoulder is really bugging me.

"Why? She has loads of fans… Why is it so important that I say that?" I hissed back.

"Please, just do it…" his voice softened, and for a second, I actually noticed a shred of concern in his eyes. He looked at Kanon, who was looking at her desk sadly. He was right…

"I really liked that 'All 4 U' song… " I put in weakly, but it seemed to work, because Kanon looked up, less depressed.

"Really?" her beautiful pink eyes sparkled behind her glasses, "so do you like any other of my songs?"

"Of course… You're one of the best singers I know… I listen to 'Love Kanon' every single morning as I get dressed for school…"

"Thank you! I'm so glad people around my age like my music…" at this point, Ellie started talking with her… Just as well, because I felt an arrow stab into my heart.

I'm older than her, yet what have I done in my life?

"I did it," I replied, looking back at Katsuragi, "can you let go of me now?" He must've forgotten he was holding into my shoulder, because he looked at it for a moment before taking his arm back. He just went back to his desk, so I did as well.

I pulled out my magazine, fully intending to turn off my brain, but my phone vibrated.

"I have cleaning duty after class. We'll talk then."

I looked at Mappy-chan, who was staring at me, and gave her a quick nod.

After school, me and Mappy-chan ended up discussing stuff while I got roped into helping her with cleaning duty.

"So… Did you end up writing it?"

"Yeah… I did it, but now I don't even want to look at it anymore…"

"Why is that?" I'm glad we were turned away from each other, because I could feel my face heat up from that memory.

"No reason…"

"Never mind then… still, now that it's finished, how about you confess to him today?"

"Isn't it a bit soon?"

"The longer you put it off, the harder it will get, you know…" she suddenly turned around, surprising me.

"Besides, weren't you saying how confident you are…" she smirked, "why don't you do straight up to him and give him one good one."

"One good what?" I asked, but my gut was telling me I probably didn't want to know. Then I figured out what she was hinting at.

"No friggin' way!" I held my hands up, waving off her stupid idea, "not even if we somehow switched bodies so that I'd be making out with myself…" She started laughing, and I think my reply just made it worse.

"Stop that, will you!" I threatened her with my broom.

"S-sorry, I can't help it! Your face…" she looked at my face again and dissolved into another fit of laughter. I covered my cheeks.

"What's so funny about my face?"

"Y-you look like… you got scratched by an angry cat…"

"Look, I don't have to take this…" I put my broom to the side, "I'm going to find Katsuragi now."

"B-be sure… to make a dramatic entry… You should find a crowbar from somewhere… and start claiming to be… the Crawling Chaos…" how she said all that between her laughter, I have no clue. I rolled my eyes.

"Don't make me throw my fork at you…" she sobered up slightly.

"By the way, Katsuragi is on the roof. Shantak-kun is guarding him…"

"Who the hell is Shantak-kun?"

"You know… the grey flying hip-"

"You know what… Never mind… Just get back to cleaning… and stop sniffing all those cleaning supplies…"

As I was about to leave, she appeared out of nowhere by the door.

"Let me just give you a pep talk…" she grabbed my shoulders, nearly shaking me, "you are gonna do this, okay… And you will succeed…" she put her hands down and used her right hand to push up her glasses.

"I can see the ending…" she said dramatically.

Eeehh…

"Now you say it, Chiro-chan," she was looking at me expectedly, so I repeated it.

"No good… You have to push up your glasses as well…"

"I-I can see the ending…" I imitated her, and weirdly enough, I could almost feel the hard plastic on the bridge of my nose. I wonder if my imagination is that good.

"Good, now go get him," she kicked me out of the classroom. I was just confused, because that conversation just seemed really out of place in this story… Well, that's what happens when you get high on cleaning supply fumes.

Still, Mappy-chan was right. Katsuragi was on the roof, but he wasn't being guarded by a flying grey whatever, but he was completely surrounded by music notes. Kanon's, in fact…

I hid behind one of the trees so I could get a closer look, and no one could see me.

Well, it's not really front row seats at Kanon's concert, but it was pretty cool. This was the first time I've seen any semblance of a live concert.

I had come during the middle of a song which I haven't heard. She was shining on the stage, which had nothing to do with the colourful light bulbs around her. I was awestruck…

"_Happy Happy Happy Crescent_

_I have a happy present for you_

_I want you to have these feelings_

_Only for you, an everlasting romance…_

_Happy Happy Happy Crescent_

_I'll give you everything I have, I love you_

_Will this end someday? I really want you to embrace this one-sided love…"_

As she was finishing, and I got over my awe, I looked down at Katsuragi, who was sitting on the bench… playing on his PFP… completely ignoring her.

At that moment did I realise the pointlessness of this situation. Confessing to this guy would get me nowhere, because as he had claimed before, he lives in the game world, and he is completely out of my reach. I have no choice but to give up.

I looked at the envelope in my hand, which was starting to get crinkled in my grip, and to my surprise, there were droplets on them. I looked up to see if the summer rains had started early, but then I noticed my vision was the one that was warping…

Those droplets were from my eyes…

For the first time in ages, I was crying…

When I got home, I chucked the stupid letter into the trash can and sat at my desk. I had stopped crying, but now, I just felt plain stupid… I was giving up without even saying anything, but just having seen Kanon reminded me how out of his league I actually was. And now if Kanon actually likes him, I really don't have a chance at all. She's adorable, talented, smart and plain awesome while I'm just some drab normal girl. No one would choose me if they had a choice.

I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, and sure enough, it was Mappy-chan. I really don't want to answer this…

"Hey!" I answered cheerfully… I guess you gotta do what you gotta do.

"How did it go?" I could practically hear her bouncing in excitement on the other side. I felt bad I'd have to kill that excitement.

"I couldn't do it… Katsuragi was with someone else…" I said resignedly.

"In that case, you should have asked to speak to him out of earshot…"

"I couldn't really do that… Kanon-chan was performing a live concert for him…" I frowned at the memory.

"A live concert?"

"Yeah… She'd even set up a stage and all," I remembered the flashing lights and the flouncing of her outfit as she danced her heart out, "but I don't think that was all…" I could hear my voice becoming quieter.

"Did something else happen?" She must have heard the change as well, because her voice got a concerned quality to it, which made me quite happy.

"Not really… but I think that I might have not been the only girl who wanted to confess to Katsuragi today…" Kanon's lyrics came back to mind. You have to be blind to not see the implications behind her words or actions. Heck, she even had that cute, flirty pose down pat. I heard Mappy-chan gasp.

"So Kanon-chan also likes Katsuragi!?" I could almost imagine her mouth wide open as her jaw hit the ground.

"I know, huh… If it wasn't the fact that she was singing a song about unrequited love to a dense Romeo, just the way she held herself pretty much showed she liked him…"

"I did not see that one coming… Just three days ago, I wouldn't have believed anyone could like Katsuragi…"

"Are you making fun of me?" I replied, cross. I know I think I'm weird for liking him, but she didn't need to point that out. She started laughing, which stung in its own way.

"Not at all… I actually think it's sweet, and I think you guys make a strangely adorable couple, so that's why I'm rooting for you…"

"Okay, I'll just get rid of the 'strangely' part and take it as a compliment…" she snickered again, "though I kind of doubt I'll try any more…"

"So are you just going to give up now?" she seemed shocked.

"I think so… No guy in his right mind would pick me when he could have an idol instead…" I could feel a frown settling on my face again.

"I disagree… I'd say it's a fair battle, actually… Even if she is an idol, you see him more often, so it makes more sense for him to like you," as logical as that sounded, I didn't buy that logic. I don't think me being around makes a difference to the fact that Kanon is a marginally better person than me.

"Think about this… If some really hot celebrity asked you out, would you accept?" She scoffed…

"No… I've got Shinji now…"

"What if you didn't have Shinji-kun?"

"I'd still say no. I'd never date a person who I didn't actually like… Besides, dating celebrities just sounds like a hassle… They're always busy being famous and their fan clubs would harass you all the time," she was speaking sense, but she was missing the point… But I hadn't even mentioned the point yet…

"You paint a grim picture… But still, there's nothing good about me… Why would he have any reason to want to date me?"

"I don't know… You're witty and clever… You're optimistic… You're a genuinely nice person… You're down to earth…"

"I'm only down to earth because I have nothing in my life to brag about… If I did, you can bet I'd shout it off the rooftops. On the other hand, Kanon-chan is cute, nice, talented, and despite that all, she never looks down on us… I think she's way more admirable than I'll ever be…"

"It's all about taste, you know? I can't imagine Katsuragi going for someone like Kanon-chan… And you won't know either, unless you try."

"Yeah… I don't think I will…"

"And why not?"

"Do you remember how Katsuragi introduced himself at the beginning of the term?"

"Not really… but I remember Nikaido abusing him for that…"

"He said that he's not interested in anything, unless it's 2D. I don't think we'd work out anyway, because he isn't my type either…"

"So what is your type then?"

"He has to be cute…" I said instantly, but as I was thinking of other traits I liked, I was drawing a blank, "I don't really have any other specific traits I like though…"

"Seriously… That's kind of shallow, isn't it?" I laughed.

"Yeah, I know, but I'm not a very deep person by default… I guess any type of personality is good, as long as he isn't a mean person…"

"So basically, you will like any guy unless he's average looking or mean…"

"Exactly… Which is why I don't get why I like Katsuragi… He isn't cute, and all he does is irritate me…"

"Maybe that's what makes him special to you… The fact that he isn't like any of the other guys you've liked… You really shouldn't give up on him so easily…"

"I can't really help it now… If Kanon-chan is interested in him, there's no reason to pick me… Heck, I wouldn't even pick me over Kanon-chan…"

"But you went through all the effort to write that letter… You should at least honour that and give it to him!"

By this point, I wasn't sure what to say. Mappy-chan would probably ask me to reconsider if it looked like I made an effort… I decided that I'm giving up now, so I may as well go the whole way so I can shut all those doors. That included lying…

"Eh, it didn't take that much effort… I copied a template off the internet…" I replied, grabbing at the bottom of my hair… The result was as desired.

"So you really aren't serious about Katsuragi?" her voice was rough, like she was getting angry. That is what I had wanted, so we could permanently end this conversation.

"Well yeah… I'm not serious about anything…"

"Then why are you doing this?" her voice was that scary kind of quiet.

"Because it was fun… But if I'm up against Kanon-chan, it's stupid to continue…" I was trying to keep my voice as upbeat as possible, and I think it was making her angrier…

"Be a little serious, will you? Nothing in life worth getting can be obtained without effort…" my bravado took a hit at that, because that was closer to home than any insult has ever been. I could feel my anger level rising.

"I don't want to hear that from you! Shinji-kun confessed to you, and all you had to do was say yes! Katsuragi doesn't even like real people, and I'm near certain he hates me… There's no way that someone like me can make him change that much, so it's all freaking useless!"

"Okay, so what you said about Shinji was true, but it takes effort to do everything, not just romance… If you do everything in that half-assed manner, you'll miss out on a lot of good stuff, and that includes Katsuragi…"

"If you think Katsuragi is so great, why don't you ask him out!?"

"Maybe I will! At least I won't use the frickin' internet to write my love letter!"

"YOU DO THAT THEN!" and I shut the phone. Honestly, I hadn't intended to go that far… I didn't want to fight with her, but I wanted her to stop supporting me and Katsuragi, because it wouldn't happen.

Ugh, what the hell am I doing?

**So... to all those people who somehow got through that chapter without saying tl;dr, thank you, and I'm sorry it's so long... There is a reason I wanted to get to this point.**

**Mainly, it's because my mid year exams are starting soon, so I'm going to be taking a hiatus till mid June.**

**I know this is a sucky place to end off, and this chapter was not my favourite to write, nor is it my best work, but this had to come. I'm not that good at dramatic scenes, so this was plain annoying to write, but it was necessary to explain some of Chihiro's insecurities, and in any case, friends fight... This won't be the last of this.**

**Yeah, from last chapter, I was referencing Hyouka Kazakiri from the Toaru Majutsu no Index. She's one of the few bespectacled roles I've seen Kana Asumi play, so of course, I like her. I tend to like anime characters with glasses, because I have them myself.**

**That being said, the shared character roles isn't really appealing to anyone, but I'll probably continue putting them any way. During that cleaning duty scene, I threw in quite a lot from Haiyore! Nyaruko-san, because that seems to be my current obsession. It also helps that Nyaruko also did the whole 'I can see the ending' pose in episode 8, which was about the characters getting trapped in a galge... It's kind of funny to me that Chihiro did get to do that pose in a completely different show.**

**Okay, I am done now, and I will be back in a month hopefully. Ja ne**


	20. And so, I had dinner

**Eeehh, I know I said I'd only post in the middle of June, but screw this. Studying all the time is boring, and I missed writing.**

**Anyway, I guess this one is another breather chapter, featuring Chihiro's family. I know it's a little behind the scenes, but your family does play a part in how you develop as a character, so I was going to do this at some point.**

**Anyhoo, onto Chapter 20. The story will continue from next chapter onwards.**

Less than an hour after that horrible conversation, my mother entered my room. I was on my bed, rifling through the latest Chauchau… Not that there was anything particularly good in there today.

I sat up so that I was facing her.

"Oka-san," I acknowledged, putting the magazine on my lap

"You don't seem to be very busy…" she looked at my magazine disdainfully. Eh, what's new… She's always hated my magazines.

"Don't roll your eyes at me…" just saying that made me want to roll them a second time, but I restrained myself, "anyway, your sister is coming in a week, so we need to clear her old room out. Help me, will you?"

Ugh… work… I groaned.

"There's a lot of your old magazines in there, so don't act like it's only my work…" she left the room, and I fell back on my bed, suddenly tired. Even though that was such a short exchange, talking to my mother always exhausts me.

Somehow, I managed to find the strength to pull myself off my bed and go to our temporary storage room. It seems like the worst had been cleaned up, and there were only some piles of books and other miscellaneous stuff on the ground. My mother left under the premise that she had to make a phone call, so I was left alone in there. Man, it was so dusty that even my mother leaving caused a foot high cloud.

Complaining wouldn't really get me anywhere, so I started sorting through the books, separating them into piles.

"Mine… Chitose's… mines… mines… Chitose… Oto-san's… mines…"

Needless to say, most of the books did belong to me. It was crazy, because some of the issues were from last year. I considered checking them out if there was anything good, but I was way too lazy, and all the dust here will just dirty my room, which I worked so hard to keep clean.

"Oooh, what's this?" I pulled up an unfamiliar blue book. I had to dust it off a little, so I made sure I did it as far away from my clothes as I could.

"Hot Guys Information Assignment…" and it was definitely my writing. Plus, my name is on the back as well. How old must this thing be?

I opened it, and I realised it wasn't as old as I expected. In fact, it's also from last year. Judging from the neatness of my writing and the pictures I had drawn or taken, this is definitely from Maijima High.

"Takumi Fujishima… Born 01/07/1991… Class 1-D… He's in the Baking Club… From what other girls say, he's really nice, and he always shares the goodies he bakes. I got lucky and got to try one of his cookies, and I want to marry him, so I can eat those forever."

I had even stuck a picture there, and he was a real cutie. He had flour on his face, and his eyes twinkled as he held up a cake tin in his oven mitts. I smiled as well before turning to the next page.

"Kuukai Nishihara… Born 18/09/1990… Class 2-A… He's in the Soccer Club, and he has a devoted fan club. I was part of it, till the stupid school decided to put a stop to us. It's not my fault that some of the senpai's ambushed him in the locker room for a group picture. I don't really get why they couldn't just do it on the pitch like normal people."

Suddenly, it came back to me… Last year, I used to love going to watch the Soccer Club during all their practices, despite not understanding the rules of the game. So far as I remember, some of the Senpai's broke the door of the locker room, and people got suspended for that. Why the hell would they use the locker room? That just sounds plain sketchy…

Man, I can't get distracted now. I want to finish this work and get out of this dusty hell hole. I'll check this out properly at some other time. Let's get rid of all this trash now.

I hurriedly sorted the rest of the books out, and I took all my magazines to recycling. Then I did a speed sweep and cleaned up the worst of the dust. Once that was done, I took a bath and got back to my _Hot Guy Information Assignment_book.

The rest of the pages were filled with similar stories, and I lost interest a few more pages in. I think this whole thing which happened with Mappy-chan is distracting me. I decided to cool off and just get a glass of milk (and no, I'm not drinking it in hopes that my pitiful bust will grow).

As I was trudging back, the front door opened.

"Guess who brought home the baacoonn!?" my father twirled in, as usual. I sighed…

More like guess who brought home the ham… Incidentally, when I turned to greet him, he plopped the groceries into my arms, and guess what was in there…

"Welcome back, Oto-san," I smiled, shifting the shopping bag so that it was easier to carry.

"Aah, Chihiro! I'm so glad you actually came to see me at the door today!" tears started forming in his eyes, and I didn't have the heart to tell him I was just passing through when he came. I just laughed and peered inside the bag. He noticed what I was doing and patted me hard on the shoulder with a chuckle.

"If you're looking for goodies, there won't be any in there," he announced loudly. I sulked and went to take the bag into the kitchen. He pulled me back.

"I brought some chocolate for you and Chitose," he whispered behind his hand, bringing the two bars out from his pants pocket and closing my fingers around them. I smiled happily and nodded when he put his fingers on his lips. Yep, this is how it always goes.

I quickly went upstairs to give Chitose his chocolate and to hide mines in my room before I took the groceries to the kitchen. Oka-san was in there, cooking something.

"Can you sort those out?" she pointed at the bag. I didn't really have anything better to do, so I complied, putting everything where it was supposed to be. My father walked in as well, carrying some more bags.

"Aaah, Cupcake!" he exclaimed, before giving my mother a kiss on the cheek. Her usual cold demeanour melted slightly.

"You know I'm in the room, right?" I popped my head from behind the fridge. He smiled, not looking abashed at all for the affection he was showing.

"I don't mind. You're my mini cupcake, after all," he came over and ruffled my hair before recoiling in mock disgust because my hair was still wet from my bath.

"I guess that makes me a very moist cupcake, doesn't it?"

"Yep yep! That's the one. Now where's the other mini cupcake?"

"I saw him in his room five minutes ago," I added. He shrugged and went off to find Chitose. I was done, so I ended up setting the dishes for dinner. It seems like it's time for that anyway.

Oto-san returned a few minutes later with Chitose slung over his back, screaming bloody murder. My mother started chastising him for making a noise as well as Oto-san for causing the ruckus in the first place. All I could do was watch by the dining table and laugh.

Yep, this was my family…

"To-chan, can't you call me something more manly than _Cupcake_?" Chitose grumbled as he sat down next to me.

"No can do, my little chocolate Cupcake!" he sat down as well, somehow still making a huge show out of it. He's always like that though, so I'm not even surprised anymore.

"What flavour am I, Oto-san?" I interjected. He cocked his head to the side.

"Weelllllll…" he stretched it out for a few seconds, "I guess you'd be a vanilla cupcake…" my smile kind of fell with that. Vanilla is the most boring flavour ever… Chitose picked up on that, because he started gloating… well, more like singing, but either way, it was annoying.

"Chocolate's better than vanilla… Chocolate's better than vanilla… cho…"

I started tuning out then, but that mantra was already stuck in my head.

I excused myself from the table as soon as I was done, saying I was going to do homework, but that was a lie. My eyes felt tired and sore from when I had cried on the roof, and this whole dinner thing reminded me of something.

Don't get me wrong… I love my family, but I can feel myself breaking the symmetry at home. Even if Nee-san isn't at home, I can tell that I'm not too close to either of my parents.

Oka-san is an accountant… She doesn't take any nonsense from her clients or her kids, and she's meticulous about everything, just like my older sister. And even though my brother and father bicker over stupid stuff, they both get along really well. So much so that my father flinging Chitose over his shoulder is a regular thing. I'm not really close to either of them, even if they're always nice to me.

Even today, as I was watching Oto-san carry Chitose and Oka-san scolding them both, I felt a strange emptiness... Like I was an outsider watching their happiness.

It's weird though, considering I am a part of this family. It's like how Oto-san had said, I'm really boring, compared to all the dynamic people around me.

Being a middle child just kind of throws my head in a loop, so I never think about it much.

"Chihiiiirooooo!" I heard outside my door before my nearly closed door flew open. I quickly rubbed my eyes in case some of my thoughts tried to make themselves known to the world. Oto-san stepped in and sat on my bed.

"Ka-chan was saying that something was bothering you… Is there something wrong?"

"Not really…" I replied, pulling some books out of my bag so I'd appear busy, "I just had some work to do…"

"Is it because I called you vanilla?" he asked. I stopped and shook my head, despite that being one of the problems. I don't think I was really in a position to talk about that.

"Look, I don't really get it exactly, but how about we eat some chocolate together?" I smiled and brought out the chocolate he had given me an hour ago. He had his own bar, so we just ate together, and he told me about his day. He's a travel agent, so he gets to send people all over the world, so of course, he gets to hear a few funny stories himself.

Once he was done, he through his empty wrapper in the trash and was about to leave.

"Oto-san," he stopped when I called, "do you think it's a wrong thing… to be an otaku?"

For the life of me, I couldn't figure out why I asked that, considering my previous plan on giving up on Katsuragi, but I did.

"Hmm…" he thought about it for a few seconds before dramatically throwing his hands up, "I don't think it's a bad thing at all!"

I blinked… That was a complete 180 from the last time we discussed it.

"B-but… but you always said that otakus are no good hikikomori who'll end up marrying a doll pillow…" his face scrunched up.

"True, obsessing over a hobby usually leads to a bad place, but enjoying stuff like games and anime isn't something to be embarrassed about..." he looked at me understandingly, and suddenly, I understood where his thoughts were going to. He must have thought that was the thing which was bothering me.

"No no no…" I shook my hands, "I'm not becoming an otaku…" he frowned.

"Awwww, I was hoping you were going to share your problems with Daddy…" tears started streaming down his face, almost comically. And then he started crying into my lap, giving me an uncomfortable hug around my legs.

Man, am I glad I'm in pyjamas already. This would've been way more awkward in a skirt.

I patted his head. Luckily, a distraction came.

"Chihiro…" my mother's head appeared through the door, "I found this in your sister's room. What should I do with this?"

She then saw the situation. Just the look on my face and my father's melodramatic crying was enough to make her laugh. I was glad though… She rarely laughs, let alone smiles…

"Okay, I'll deal with this one, and you can deal with that one…" she somehow managed to pick Oto-san off my lap, and she threw a stuffed toy in its place. It was a white bunny I hadn't seen in ages.

"Gyuu-kun!" I exclaimed, giving him a tight hug. My mother nodded approvingly before leaving with my father.

And it all fell into silence again…

Not that I'm against silence, but I think today is just one of those days where I shouldn't think. So I went to bed with my newly acquired Gyuu-kun.

_In that empty room, I still managed to run myself into a ditch… What the hell is up with that?_

_It's started drizzling as well, but the stupid motorcycle won't really provide much protection, will it?_

**Aah, so there you have it. The start of Chihiro's depression, and good old family time.**

**I kinda enjoyed writing something normal. I can't really say how it is for everyone, but my family made a really big influence on how I grew up. That's why I wanted to actually showcase the people who also influenced Chihiro.**

**I didn't really have anyone in mind while I was writing this chapter, but I knew I wanted a kind of balance for Chihiro at home as well. A fun dad, a strict mum, a naive but kinda annoying brother. Even Nee-san, who I'll introduce in a few chapters time, will have a role in that.**

**I'll definitely build up on this later, but for the time being, this is good enough.**

**That being said, some other stuff which made a brief appearance in Chihiro's arc also came in. Chihiro shows Elsie her Hot Guy Information Book at the end of the arc, and Gyuu-kun, the bunny, sits on Chihiro's bed in the anime.**

**I dunno, Chihiro doesn't seem like the stuffed bunny kind of person, but I might give Gyuu-kun a back story. Though later...**

**So, this part is to anyone who's watching Mekakucity Actors this season... How freaking epic was the last episode? I don't know if it was me, but that whole part where Takane cried and confessed before she turned into Ene was really nicely done, and it kinda reminded me of that last scene with Chihiro from the Goddess arc. I really enjoyed that.**

**Well, tomorrow is Lost Time Memory, so it's time for shit to hit the fan. I'm looking forward to it. Shaft has been doing a decent job conveying the epicness that is Kagerou Days.**

**Well, I'm done ranting now, for whoever actually reads the author's notes. God knows when I'll be back, but I'll continue writing**

**ja**


	21. And so, I had a dream

**Okay, I've been pretty busy as of late, but I finally got around to updating the next chapter. This one was kinda a weird one, but I hope you like it. Seeing that I've already gone 21 chapters without getting to Chihiro's first conquest, so I'll try to be faster about it.**

**Anyhoo, onto Chapter 21**

* * *

"_Ne, Shinji-kun…" I rubbed my hair nervously with one hand; the other one was behind my back, hiding the little package of cookies from his view. He pulled the basketball towards him and greeted me with a blinding smile._

"_What's up?"_

"_Y-ya see… I wanted to tell you something…" I took a deep breath and brought out the package in front of me._

"_T-the truth is that I like you. Please accept these…" I said quickly, and I could feel my face redden. I had done it. Now I just needed to wait for his reply to my confession._

"_I-I'm flattered, Chihiro-chan, but I'm afraid I have to say no…" I felt my hands fall, along with my stomach. It was useless, just like I expected._

"_I-it's Mappy-chan, isn't it?" my voice shook._

"_It's not that…" I lifted my downcast head and I noticed that someone was next to him. My eyes widened… Katsuragi?_

"_Shinji…" Katsuragi put his hand heavily on Shinji-kun's shoulder, "you know I don't like you talking to other people…" he looked at me disdainfully. _

"_He's not interested," he said bluntly at me, "Shinji only needs me," he cast a fervid look at Shinji-kun, then I understood what was happening._

"_Sorry, Chihiro-chan. My world revolves around Keima forever and ever…" he shrugged, and the strange urge to both laugh and cry started rising up my throat._

"_Oh Chihiro, if only someone would like you…" Katsuragi laughed, shoving a chocolate cupcake by Shinji's mouth, who gladly took a bite, "so if you're done, I need to teach someone a lesson…" he then started unbuttoning Shinji's shirt._

_Oi, you're doing that here? Wait till I leave, at least…_

"_Shinji…" Katsuragi pushed him down forcefully and climbed over him… "I'll show you exactly what happens when I'm jealous, and trust me, it won't be nice…" a smile stretched creepily over his face._

_While this was coming off as really strange to me, Shinji-kun was completely red in embarrassment… I just felt embarrassed at their stupid drama act they had going on, but I couldn't turn my head away._

"_Ke-Keima… it… it feels like I'm going to melt…" he averted his face._

_I rolled my eyes… Maybe you guys should get off each other now…_

"_Exactly… Even if this is our last night together, my love for you is eternal…"_

"_Keima… My love for you and your glasses is eternal too!" I couldn't handle it then… My urge to laugh was getting too strong._

"_That's what I wanted to hear," he smiled and leaned forward, obviously going for the big finish…_

I couldn't help it… I fell out of my bed, laughing my ass off. Even though my butt got hurt from landing too hard, it didn't stop me.

"My love for you and your glasses is eternal…" I muttered, before I was completely lost it again. My God, what kind of BL does my brain write!? That's some crazy shit…

And it was starring Shinji-kun and Katsuragi, nonetheless… What the hell is wrong with my head?

Still, I was in a happy mood all through the morning. It seemed like the laughs I got out of those narmy lines were sticking, and it was probably a good thing, considering my foul mood yesterday.

When I saw Katsuragi in the classroom, I had to hide a chortle… And look, the Seme is here…

"Good morning, Chihiro-saaan!" Ellie greeted happily. I returned it, completely ignoring Katsuragi. Not that it really mattered, considering he was playing his games again.

"Did you do your homework, Chihiro-san?" I thought back to yesterday, trying to remember what it was. We had homework?

"Yeah, ages ago…" I lied, sitting in my seat. Considering I can't even remember what work it was, it probably wasn't that important. Only if it's Nikaido-sensei homework does it actually matter… She had dirt on me, after all…

"Aah, that's good, Chihiro-san… You're on top of things, just like Kami-nii-sama…"

While that was perfectly innocent in context, my dream just made that a lot more perverted and funny. As I was now, my throat jerked to try and keep the laugh down, which caused a coughing fit of its own.

"A-Are you okay?" she asked.

Miyako, who was in her seat behind Ellie, came and hit my hard on the back, which helped. I calmed down after a few seconds.

"Wow, Chihiro, did you choke on your gum or something?" Miyako asked when I could talk again.

"Nah, someone was gossiping about me…" I shrugged, avoiding her eyes.

"You know that's only for sneezing, right?"

Before I could reply, homeroom began, effectively sending everyone back to their seats and putting an end to all conversations. I kind of appreciated that though, because I could get my head in order.

I'm not one of those crazy BL fangirls who write dictionary thick doujinshi comics, so why am I having weird dreams like that? Heck, I only learned what BL was because Nee-san left some in her room once she started university two years ago, and I didn't read it… okay, I read it once, but it wasn't that good… And I didn't enjoy it any more when I read it the second time… or the third time, for that matter.

Eh, I guess that kinda explains where those corny lines came from. Still, dreams are supposed to have meanings, right? Could it be… that Katsuragi might actually be… gay?

I sniggered, but shook my head. It really can't be, coz he always plays those games about dating girls… yet, when Kanon-chan was singing for him on the roof, looking helluva cute and he didn't bat an eyelid.

OH MY GOD, HE IS GAY! All his games are playing the beard for him… And no, Brain! I'm not making this up to cover for my inner yaoi fangirl. It's a sign, dammit!

The poor guy… not being able to be true to himself because other people would judge… Society kinda sucks like that.

Luckily, that urge which made me want to crack up disappeared, but a stronger urge to want to talk to Katsuragi, and offer him my support started emerging…

You know, maybe Katsuragi just acts like a jerk because he's so cynical about life. He's spent his entire life in his games, trying to hide, that he's lost hope of ever coming out…

The poor guy… He looks extra cute today, focusing his entire attention into his game, even though most likely, his heart is troubled… I wonder what it would be like, being in his shoes…

From this day onwards, I vow to be nicer to him and be the friend he needs…

At lunch, I quietly read a magazine, peeking over the pages to see if the crowd was clearing out. When the class was less than half full and Ellie was gone to get lunch, I closed my magazine.

"Katsuragi…" I hissed, adjusting my magazine so the people on the left couldn't see my mouth. He didn't look back, obviously…

"Oi, Katsuragi… Can we talk for a second?" He turned around after some hesitation and heavy sighing… No surprise there. I think this might be the first time I've actually tried to instigate a conversation willingly with this guy.

"What is it, Kosaka?" For a second, I paused. I only realized our family names start with the same sound now. It doesn't matter, but it's weirdly fascinating.

"I-it's nothing really, but I was wondering how you're doing?" he looked at me suspiciously. I tried to keep cool, but his stare was drilling into my brain. I really don't get it, considering his eyes are brown like mines, but they had a strange electric quality that I couldn't look into them properly. It's weird though… I've had loads of crushes in my life, but that has never happened before. Still, it just looks weird if you talk to someone and they don't look back, so I forced myself to keep looking upwards.

"I'm alright, obviously… Why does it matter?" he pulled his PFP around and started playing. It was a relief, because my brain went out of hypersensitive mode. Dammit, focus, Chihiro…

"Well, you're a classmate and Ellie's brother, so I should at least check…" he frowned and looked up.

"I'm alright. If that's all you wanted to check…" his line ran off, and he turned around. I groaned. Just listen a little longer, will you?

"Look, I won't beat around the bush, but… I figured out about your… situation… I also wanted to give you my support, as a normal person…" his back froze up. I remember when Mappy-chan figured out that I liked Katsuragi, I had the same reaction. I was more certain than ever now that my dream had been trying to tell me something.

"You know of my situation?" he asked, and I could hear a slight quiver in his voice.

"Well, yeah. It wasn't obvious, but after I saw you with Kanon-chan on the roof after school, I had a slight hunch."

"Did Elsie tell you?" his voice was rising, and a panicked expression came onto his face. Wait, Ellie knew about this? At least it's a relief to know he isn't completely alone.

"No… I had no clue Ellie was involved… I just sorta figured it out on my own…" he pointed at his neck.

"Y-you seriously know about this?" he was shaking by now, that something just told me that he was actually trying to point at his heart. He really seemed so fragile and scared that I could feel my heart speed up.

"Yeah, as I said…" he pulled out his phone and tried to dial, but his fingers were shaking too much in the end.

"Look, you don't have to worry about that… I won't tell anyone unless you want me to," I tried to keep my voice as calm as possible, but soothing him seemed out of the question.

"This is bad… No one's supposed to know about that, and if Kanon finds out about this, I'll have to start that route from scratch…" his already quiet mumble which I had to lean in to hear trailed off, and he started aimlessly pushing buttons on his phone again.

"You don't have to keep the pretence of liking Kanon-chan here. I already know you don't swing like that…" he stopped and looked at me blankly.

"Err… What?" he shut his phone, and his body went back to the same cold confidence he always had. It was a bit alarming how quick that change came. I was a bit disappointed, because his face was a lot more open and surprised, and that slight redness was gone. How, he kinda looked pissed. It wasn't cute as all…

He actually looked really cute while he was fumbling around. I wonder what changed now.

"Yesterday, when she was singing for you, you weren't the least bit interested… I figured out that maybe girls might not be your thing, if someone as adorable as Kanon-chan doesn't appeal to you."

"B-but, all my games involve girls…" he turned the screen towards me, and as he said, there was a girl on screen.

"I know that, but I figured out that it either might be your beard, or you were trying to make yourself like girls through that."

"So you think I'm gay?" he said, his eyes narrowing. I was surprised he'd use that word without euphemizing it.

"Well, yeah… Isn't that it?"

"No! You're so off the mark that you're not even looking at the target anymore…" I had been so certain I was right, that the truth wasn't sinking in now. I guess he really isn't gay…

"But… when we were doing that worksheet together, you seemed upset that What's-his-face-kun had left…" I tried half-heartedly one more time, because I was confused. Given how he reacted before, I thought that was confirmation that my thoughts were right, and now I'm completely wrong. Make up your mind already, Otamega…

"That's not it! For a second, I thought you actually had a brain and figured out something…" still, he seemed relieved.

"Okay, so I was mistaken… You don't have to be so mean about that…" I pouted, "Man, and here I was thinking I got some good dirt on you…" I stretched and made myself comfortable, kind of bored now. It wasn't adding up though. Why was he acting so weird about something he knew wasn't true? Or maybe he didn't know what I was thinking…

"Say, what did you think I was talking about?" It might have been I hit one chest with my shovel while looking for another, so now I was definitely curious. I must have hit on some other secret which left Katsuragi a bumbling wreck…

"I-I think the better question is: where the hell did your idea even come from? There was absolutely no logic to that!" I thought about it for a second, and realized it was definitely that dream which planted the seed to that idea.

But I can't tell him that! I have barely shown a shred of interest to this guy before now, so it would be pretty obvious that I like him if he knew I was dreaming of him.

"Why don't you answer my question first?" I said stubbornly, crossing my arms. With any luck, I could pretend the blood rush to my face was anger.

"Why don't you answer first?" I could tell he was trying to be stubborn as well, but he was determined to keep playing his game, so he barely moved.

"No, you do it!"

"You do it… you're the guy here…"

"As the saying goes, ladies first…"

Well, it's official. This conversation is going nowhere. I have no clue what he might be hiding, but neither of us wanted to share. This is getting boring now.

"Geez!" I groaned, "how about we pretend this conversation never happened…"

"Fine by me," he turned back to his seat, "idiot…" I shoved my magazine open forcefully, annoyed as well. Still, I couldn't resist. I still had a few more jibes to make. Also, what fun would this conversation be if I didn't completely mess with his head?

"So are you the Seme or the Uke?" I added in gleefully after a few moments. He turned back and glared.

"Whoa, dude, it's just a question…" I pretended to be thoughtful, but it was just so I could push his buttons more, "Because I imagine you'd be the Seme…"

"Didn't you say you'd drop it? Besides, I'm not gay…"

"Yeah…" I said, making my tone as bored as I could while admiring my nails, "I can't say I really believe you… I can totally set you up with some cute guys… Unless you have a girlfriend…"

"I don't need one… I already get enough love from my games, anyway…"

"Nah, that doesn't count… Unless you have a girl you like…" He opened his mouth like he wanted to answer before shutting it and turning back to his games.

"Think whatever you want… It's not like your opinion matters anyway…" and with that, it was over, and I felt weirdly empty and confused. He was playing along just fine now, but he's turned back into Grouchy Mcmeanie-pants.

I guess, in the end, this sums up why I didn't want to confess to him. It's like I have an inability to have a normal conversation with him, and that can't be right. Still, this was fun. I wish I could talk to him more, but the more I open my mouth, the more I annoy him.

Dammit, there's only ten more minutes left till lunch is over and I haven't gotten anything. I took my bag as I left, half because I was too lazy to dig in my bag and half so I could "mistakenly" hit Katsuragi as I past him. He didn't have to call me an idiot…

At the bread vender, it was nearly empty. And by some miracle, there were a few omelette soba sandwiches left. I quickly pulled out 100 yen from my purse. That was, until I got ambushed.

Mappy-chan was by my shoulder.

"Chiro-chan," she said with a forced smile so stretched out that it was scary, kind of like the one Katsuragi had in my dream. Before I could protest, she dragged me off to an even quieter place, and all I could think of was the sandwich I could have been eating now.

I shook my head free of those thoughts and focused on the task at hand. Food can wait, but I need to fix this first. Our conversation yesterday didn't end on the happiest note, after all… I guess I should start first.

"Look, about yesterday-"

"I'm sorry, Chiro-chan," she burst out before I could say any more. She stood up from her bow.

"I was wrong to judge you because you didn't want to confess to Katsuragi. The fact is that it's your life, and you should do it in your own way and in your own time," I started waving my hands.

"It wasn't your fault. I was trying to be annoying on purpose, so I'm at fault as well."

For a few moments, we laughed awkwardly at the way the other was acting until it escalated into real, though rather subdued laughter.

"Even still, I am hoping that you'll reconsider, because I can imagine you'd be a good couple."

I wondered for a second why she'd possibly think that. So far, of all the things I've thought, even if he somehow liked be back, we'd probably break up within a week if we went out.

"Y-you really think we'd make a nice couple?"

"Yeah… you guys are actually more similar than you think, and that helps in a relationship," she said matter-of-factly, but I could only gawk. How are we remotely similar?

"I don't get it," I frowned. I can only think of how different we are.

"Well, you're both kind of subdued, but when it comes to stuff you like, you can both act a bit crazy…"

"Wrong!" I raised my hand, "He's just crazy all the time. I'm nowhere near as obsessed about anything…"

"Hot guy at twelve o' clock," she said silently and I swiveled to where she had said, inadvertently proving her right. I cursed at my weirdly boy-obsessed nature while taking in the view.

"You're right, he is pretty cute," I noted. She chucked and pushed her glasses up the rim of her nose.

"This one is a bit harder to prove, but you guys seem to be on the same wavelength sometimes that it's a bit weird…"

I sniggered. Hehe, that's so stupid…

"Now you're just making that up. How are we possibly on the same page?"

"Please, any time I see you talking with Katsuragi, it's like watching a ping pong match, because you act and react in the exact same way."

"So…" I didn't really get the relevance, but I think I understood what she was getting at. Talking with Katsuragi… it's really easy and I don't have to think so hard about it. Even if it's once in a blue moon that we do speak, I usually enjoy it a lot.

"Still not convinced, huh?" she muttered, thinking about it, "how about that day you got to put clips in his hair?"

I smiled at that… Good times, good times… Still, that doesn't support her point at all.

"That says nothing about how similar we are. That just shows that he's too damn lazy…"

"And so are you… When it comes to stuff you're not fond of, you'll try to get it over and done as fast as possible, like Katsuragi," she pointed out, and she was right. Most of the time, I did my studying and schoolwork as half-assedly and as fast as possible. Just like that guy. Actually, that's a lie…

"But he does great at school. He even gets perfect scores, so he can't be that lazy… And we don't like the same kind of stuff… And even so, I'm nowhere near as obsessed about the stuff I like as he is. He's pretty much a weirdo…"

She sighed, probably at how stubborn I was being. I didn't really get it myself, but I knew this whole crush thing was going like a yoyo in my head. One minute, I'd actually consider going out with him, then the next, confessing sounds like the worst idea in the history of the world. In the end, I just want it to go away…

"Look, you can disagree, but I made some fair points, so please don't write this whole thing off as something stupid-"

Ugh, can we just drop this already? As if my irritation levels weren't high enough this week already…

"Look, I understand that you want me to be happy, but I don't want to go out with that guy…" I tried to stay calm.

"You don't?" she cocked her head to the side and I wanted to scream. Does she not listen?

"Yeah, like I told you yesterday! I'm just going to forget about it, because it is stupid!" I ground and dug that blue book out of my bag.

"Seriously though, I used to love admiring cute guys, but since that jerk came along, it just keeps weighing on me and I can't even do it properly anymore…" I started ranting out loud before opening my 'Hot guy Information Assignment' book. I skimmed through it in front of her, showing the multiple entries and photos I had spent my time working on last year.

"Look here," I shoved it in her face, "last year, I wrote this as a hobby, but since that guy came and ruined my peace of mind, I've barely thought of any other guys, and I hate that!" While I was having my mini tantrum, she plucked the book out of my hands.

"Hmm, this is pretty impressive… Are these all the people you had a crush on last year?" she rifled through the pages.

"Yeah, during various times of the year… I used to love watching them and stuff, so I just ended up writing it down. But thanks to that jerk, I can't even do this anymore…" she was barely listening though, because she started counting the pages. I waited till she was done so I could whine more.

"Wow, that's at least one guy a week… And you even got pictures, like a stalker…"

"Hey, I'm not a stalker! Most of these were from the school yearbook or they were on Facebook…" I grabbed the book and stuffed it in my bag, disgruntled. I didn't show this her so she could judge me. She could see how agitated I had become, because she held both her hands in apology.

"Look, I don't think you're a stalker… You just researched well… In any case, maybe it's a good thing you aren't the same person you were last year. You've actually mellowed out your hobby, which is normal." She tried to explain it out logically, but it all started coming back… Why I did this last year… that conversation from yesterday… my dream… That damn chocolate cupcake!

"But I don't want to be normal…"

"What did you say?"

"I want to be a chocolate cupcake, dammit!"

"What are you talking about?"

"THAT'S IT! I'M GOING TO CONFESS NOW!"

"That's great… Go for it!"

"OI! CUTE GUY AT 12 O' CLOCK!" I screamed, surprising every person in the vicinity, including myself. The guy I was referring to looked up from in front of the library. He pointed at himself with a questioning look on his face.

"I LIKE YOU! WILL YOU GO OUT WITH ME?!"

* * *

**Okay, if anyone actually saw the last two lines coming, here's a cyber cookie.**

**Yeah, so I'm back to writing ridiculously long chapters... And putting unnecessary cliffhangers... Deal with it...**

**Anyway, I enjoyed this one, but I'm pretty sure that some characters were derailed for this chapter. Still, more Chihiro and Keima interaction (with the two conversations, one dialogue added in for fun) and also, the stream of confessions are incoming. With any luck, I'll reach Chihiro's conquest in three or so chapters. Whoop whoop!**

**This was the first time a reference ended up dominating a chapter instead of being a passing mention, but that entire dream was a reference to Nakuru from Mayo Chiki!, who would probably have turned that entire dream into one of her BL novels. I was watching that show recently, so of course, I had to include that. Of course, that goes to show that I am both crazy and have too much time on my hands.**

**I'll try to get the next chapter out soon, so we can properly meet "The cute guy at 12 o' clock". I'm so stoked for writing that.**

**I guess I've said it all, so as usual, please review. Feedback is always appreciated, and honestly, I'm curious as to how you'll receive this chapter. Especially since this was kind of a turning point in the story.**

**Ja ne**


	22. And so, I hit the Author

**I'M BACK! **

**Well, it wasn't like I left for too long, but whatever, here's Chapter 22.**

**I really want to thank you guys, because you really upped the reviews. It's always a motivator.**

**So here you go... Enjoy!**

* * *

"Nee… Miyako…" I whined towards the end of the school day… Man, I was exhausted. Today just sucked…

"What's up, Chihiro?" she packed her books away.

"I don't know… I'm just bored… Can you just tell me something interesting?!" I waved my hands around pointlessly. She put her forefinger to her chin thoughtfully.

"Honestly, nothing really interesting happened to me. I'm just going to go to Track and Field, like I usually do," she pulled her bag over her arm. Before I could whine any further, Ayumi slapped my shoulder, pulling myself out of my weeping tree like pose.

"Someone's been pretty popular nowadays," she said cheerfully as we left the classroom.

"What are you even talking about?" I wondered out loud.

"Ya know… You and a certain someone becoming close friends… It's like I never get to see you anymore," she joked around, but I could see she was a little bit upset… Not that I can blame her, because I am amazing…

Though seriously, I have been spending a lot of time with Mappy-chan… I should probably organize my break time a bit better… Not that it really matters...

"Oh, yes, you and Katsuragi were getting pretty close today…" Miyako added, and I choked on my spit. Please give me a break, Miyako... Ayumi is going to jump on that bit of information hard...

"I-I-I have no clue what you're talking about…" I muttered uselessly, busying myself with adjusting my bag, or looking in my bag… or something… anything to drop this subject.

"Well, I was talking about Hiroko-san, but this sounds way more interesting… C'mon now. Spill!" Ayumi demanded in that tone that even though I hadn't heard it in ages, it always sent a chill down my spine.

Man, just divert the subject or something…

"Look, cute guy at 12 o' clock!" I said cheerfully, pointing up ahead, and to my surprise, it was him again. My eyes widened and I quickly turned around so he couldn't see me. Shit! This sucks even more!

"What was up with that reaction?" Ayumi popped into my vision.

"I'm being totally fine!" I said preppily, but way too fast.

I swear that there's some conspiracy out there that's trying to make me embarrass the hell out of me, and it doesn't help that I'm like an open book with that kind of stuff.

"Suuurreee… I'd believe that if your face wasn't the same colour as my tomato juice," Miyako rolled her eyes. Damn, why are girls so perceptive about stuff? Though it's kinda weird she even drinks tomato juice. Tomato juice is for those old guys who flail their walking sticks at kids and go on about 'the good old days'.

"So, what's his name?" Ayumi added, not budging. I peeked over my bag, and both Ayumi and Miyako were looking at me expectantly. There's no way they'll leave without an explanation. I considered my options and figured it'd probably be easier to just tell them the whole story… I think, somewhere deep down, even if it's a bit embarrassing, I like it when people are curious about me.

"Fine…" I sighed, and they both cheered, "So at lunch today…"

* * *

"_I like you!" I screamed over the near empty entrance of the library, "Will you go out with me!?" he froze, pulling his book to his chest. At the same time, I heard a huge "Eeh!" from behind me, courtesy to Mappy-chan._

_I was about to head over to the boy whose name I didn't even know at that point, until Mappy-chan pulled me back._

"_Are you crazy, Chiro-chan!?" she hissed hysterically, I shrugged and shot a smile back, "Not really, I just thought it'd be fun." I pushed her arm off and continued walking, and luckily, she didn't stop me. I walked over to the glass pains that the cute boy was standing by, and I have to say, up close, he really was cute. I must've sent him for a loop, because his face just got redder, and his jet black hair fell over his eyes._

"_So…" I tried to say confidently, despite the insecurity that washed over me, "what do you say?" he opened his book and frantically started scanning the pages with his eyes._

"_Uhh… Umm…" he opened his mouth, apparently trying to find words. I was just a tad bit entranced with his small voice, which was only one or two pitches lower than a girls. He looked clearly at me, and his light brown eyes met mines before widening to the size of golf balls._

"_Sorry!" he muttered before making a mad dash to the school building. My eyes followed him till he disappeared from sight, but I was a little bit confused._

* * *

"So… You asked out a guy without knowing his name?" Miyako stared at me, more surprised than judgmental, but I could see a little bit of both. Ayumi pulled her arms around the back of her head, a bit disappointed.

"That's a pity though… It would've been good if you could have at least got his name."

"Actually, I do know his name," I adjusted my bag in my lap, so I could reach in more easily. I pulled the neatly wrapped red book he had dropped in his haste to get away. With the three of us on a bench and both of them were on either side of me, they leaned over very easily.

"Tsubasa Sakuragi…" they read simultaneously.

"Yeah, he dropped it, because he was in such a rush to get away from me," I sighed. Ayumi rubbed my back supportively.

"Don't let it worry you so much, Chihiro. That guy sounded really shy, so I don't think he was repulsed at all."

"She's right," Miyako agreed, "besides, now that you have his book, maybe you can make a better second impression when you give it back."

I felt the book disappear from my lap. When I turned to look, Ayumi had it open. I snatched it back.

"Oi, that's rude! We should just give it back without reading it," but I was too late. Whatever she had read had put a huge smile on her face.

"Mind if I check you out?" she said, and my curiosity piqued. Whatever decency I had as a human disappeared, and I opened the book again.

"Are you a librarian? Coz I need to be shushed," Ayumi burst out in laughter, and Miyako took the book from me, which was both a relief and a disappointment.

"Come on, Chihiro, don't be a hypocrite and just give it back without reading anymore…" a cheeky smile graced her face, "then ask him why he wants to pick up a librarian…" Both me and Ayumi looked at her blankly before we all laughed.

This continued for a good minute before we got a hold on ourselves.

"Look, I'm just going to find this Sakuragi guy and return it, but us reading it didn't happen," both of them nodded and zipped their lips. I got off the bench.

"Though Chihiro…" Miyako added, and I turned back, "what did Hiroko-san say after he left?"

"She… uh… she got mad, compared me to some manga character, than left."

"Some manga character?"

"Yeah, her name was Melty, or something like that… I don't really care though," I replied, but honestly, I was a little bit worried.

"Oh, I see… Anyway, me and Ayumi should probably go, unless we want to be late for practice," I watched the two of them run off, and it took a few moments for me to get moving. I turned around and walked back to the school building.

Watching the two of them reminded me of what I'd been missing. I used to love running with Ayumi, but at some point, I just wasn't good enough. She'd always beat me significantly. Especially in high school, because I only lasted half a month in the Track and Field club.

The truth was that Ayumi was always better than me. She was more popular with the guys and she ran faster, not to mention that her brown eyes were so big and shiny. The only edge I have over her now is that I'm better at school work, but even that is only because she spends so much time training and running that she barely gets studying time. Heck, she doesn't even get time to watch TV, because she has such a busy life.

Then there's the issue with Mappy-chan… I didn't mention it to the two of them, but she was so mad at me that I was actually scared. I've never read that Gargantia manga she was going on about, but Melty spends most of the time drooling over the hot main character. No matter how you look at it, that was definitely an insult. I know she was willing to get over that argument from yesterday, but I don't think we'll get over this one so easily, considering how shallow I appear right now.

Honestly, I think I was subconsciously avoiding Ayumi for the past few days, because I've been feeling pretty crappy about myself. Someone like Ayumi or Kanon, who tried their hardest in this shitty world, just aggravated me more. Miyako and Mappy-chan actually put me at rest, because I felt that same kind of normalcy that I had within them.

Man, how I wished I'd been granted some talent that I could work on honing, because in the end, I'm just boring, like the vanilla cupcakes, which get ignored because they're also chocolate cupcakes on the same plate.

My phone vibrated, and I noticed Ayumi was calling.

"_H-hello,"_ my voice broke slightly.

"_Hi, Chihiro… You haven't found him yet, have you?"_

"_Not yet…"_

"_You see, I mentioned that name to Izumi, and she says he's in 2-C. I thought you'd just want to know that."_

"_Thanks, I appreciate that. I had no clue where to start," but I heard Ayumi talking to someone on her side._

"_Sure, I'm glad I could help… By the way, Miyako said she wants to talk to you, so I'm going to pass the phone to her."_

"_Yeah, sure…" _

"_Just give me a second,"_ so rustling and a few moments later, I heard Miyako's voice.

"_Chihiro, are you okay?"_

"_Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" _I tried to say with a laugh.

"_Well, you did get rejected, which I can imagine is a painful. Also, you seemed a bit down when you were talking about Hiroko-san, so I thought I'd just ask anyway."_

"_Thanks, but I'm not too bothered about the rejection… I could always ask out someone else…"_

"_I get that, but are things okay with you and Hiroko-san?"_

"_Yeah…"_ I muttered_, "Though Mappy-chan gets me way too well."_

"_Maybe she knows the author or something…"_

"_The author… of what?"_

"_Of this book, obviously…"_ I was confused as hell, but her strange logic was actually making me feel a bit better.

"_I really don't get you, Miyako."_

"_Well, it's already twenty-two chapters in, so if you don't get it by now, never mind,"_ I should feel slightly left out, but I was too amused.

"_You're a weird one, Miyako…"_ I laughed.

"_Well, it doesn't really matter, but if you feel fine, it's alright. I'm going to cut the call now, so good luck with that book thing…"_

"_Bye…"_ the phone cut, so I put it back. It was kind of a relief that I didn't feel like crying anymore. And, thanks to Ayumi, I knew where to start.

2-C was right next door to my class, but even though school had finished 15 odd minutes ago, there were still a lot of loiterers. I went to the closest desk to the door.

"Excuse me," the girl pulled herself out of her book, "is Sakuragi-kun in this class?" she looked at me, but didn't respond. I waited for a good ten seconds, but she just stared blankly at me. Come to think of that, she actually looks a bit familiar.

"So… err… Sakuragi…" I repeated, but it seemed like she had no clue. Maybe she just transferred in. I shrugged and pulled my bag up my arm again.

"He's…" she said so silently that I could barely hear, "over there…" she lifted her hand uncertainly, but she was right. He was by the window, and somehow, he saw us. He saw the book in my hand and came running.

"Yeah, you dropped this," I handed it over, and he silently took it. Then, he just stared… in fact, they both stared.

"It's a nice day, isn't it?" I laughed nervously, but neither of them responded…

Yeah, somehow, I ended up trying to strike a conversation with the two shyest people in the world. I really should just go. Still, my nervous blabbering continued.

"So what's up with the librarian pickup lines?" I asked, stupidly forgetting my own request. I was just really nervous. Still, it had the desired effect. Sakuragi-kun started talking… and pushing me out of the door.

"What's wrong with you? Do you always go through peoples stuff when they're in your possession?" he glared. I guess my question lit such a fire in him that even his shyness couldn't keep it down.

"Well, I'm sorry…" I folded my arms, "in any case, it was your fault, because you dropped it, and I only read the page which was open," but he wasn't paying attention. He was watching that girl through the window, who continued reading.

"Say, is that the librarian you're trying to pick up?"

He turned back, and glared, putting his finger on his lips to shush me, but the look he was giving me just confirmed it. Come to think of it, I've actually seen her in the library... She's even quiet there.

"If that's the case, I'd ditch the book. I kinda doubt pickup lines would work on her…" or anyone else, for that matter…

"If you're so smart, how can I get closer to her?" he reluctantly turned to look at me.

"Do exactly that… She just seems shy, so rather try becoming her friend than flirting with her. Then you can just build up from there…" he looked a bit doubtful at the advice.

"Do you think it'll work?"

"Well, it'll be better than your stalker-with-a-crush tendencies you have going on right now…." He looked appropriately abashed, which reminded me of lunch today. He actually was looking through the window outside the library, quite possibly at this girl. I felt a weird sense of comradery with him.

"Look, how about this… if she's a librarian, talk to her about books… And try to be a bit patient if she doesn't reply straight away…" with that, it's probably a good time to leave.

"Anywaaaayy…" I shoved my bag over my shoulder… "I'll-"

"What's your name?" he asked. I blushed.

"Uhh, Chihiro Kosaka…" I turned back, and he shot me a sparkling smile.

"Thank you, Kosaka-san."

"Sure… And good luck, Sakuragi-kun…" I walked off, but my face was still pink. I don't think I had a crush on him, per se, but he still was pretty cute.

You know, this whole confessing thing isn't half bad. Though next time, I'll do it properly, and I won't lose. I guess, in a way, I liked the attention. I had a whole book of guys to confess to, so why not just go for it? Maybe by admiring them, I could find something in myself to admire. God knows how I lack that.

"Yooosh!" I shoved my fist in the air, "Let's do it!" I pulled the _Hot Guy Information Assignment _and opened it.

"Le'ssee le'ssee…" I flipped through the pages, looking for the next guy…

**And so, we're getting closer to Chihiro's conquest. Whoop whoop!**

**There's not much to say about this chapter. My weekly Kana Asumi reference is from Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet, but unlike how it's portrayed in this story, Melty is actually quite likable. She's actually like Chihiro, if you dyed her hair orange and gave her a pair of wings to fly. I won't lie... I hate mechas, but GotVP was definitely worth the watch. The whole universe is so freaking awesome.**

**So anyway-**

"See Chihiro, I told you there's an author!"

**Miyako? Get back into the chapter... Dammit, I forgot to put a separating line between the chapter and the Author's note. No wonder she found it.**

"Ooooh, so there is someone in charge?"

**Ugh, not you as well... Can you two just leave?**

"Actually, Author-san, I have a bone to pick with you..."

**What is it, Chihiro!? I'm supposed to be wrapping up now.**

**"Do you hate me or something?"**

**Obviously not, considering this story is about you. Why do you ask?**

**H-H-Hey! Calm down and put the mic back... N-no, Get away from me...**

"That's what you get** (ow) w**hen you keep putting** (ouch) **me in embarrassing situations** (ow) **all the freakin'** (ouch) **time!** (ouch)**"

**Fine, I'm sorry... What can I do to make it up to you?**

"Kill Katsuragi..."

**Sorry, he's a fan favourite... Anything else...**

"Pair Katsuragi with Miyako!"

"Don't push me under the bus, Chihiro..."

**Sorry, I'm going to listen to Miyako here... Anything else?**

"C-can I at least get a meat bun next chapter?"

**That I can do... Now, if you ladies will do me a favour, GET THE HELL OUT OF THE AUTHORS NOTE!**

"Author-san is kinda crazy..."

**Yes I am, so please leave...**

**Now that they're gone, please don't forget to review. I'd also appreciate it if someone reminds me to put the separating line.**

**Ja ne**

**Oi, give me that!**


	23. And so I planned a party

**Okay, I have to apologize, because I'll be causing a bit of trouble. Basically, I like symbolism, but for this story, I didn't have the symbolism right from the beginning. **

**That being said, I decided to edit some of the chapters. The ones I've changed in particular have the 'And so' removed from their name. It's really up to you guys if you want to check the extra scene I've added to all those chapters, but you don't have to, because it doesn't really alter the plot at all.**

**However, if you like reading random dream sequences put in there for no reason, please do read it.**

**Anyway, I'm done being annoying. Onto the next chapter.**

* * *

_I sneezed, looking up at the grey flecks of water come down in my face. The motorcycle wasn't starting, because it somehow got stuck in some grey mass of sand. I groaned and started reversing._

_With some power, the bike leapt out of the ditch with a motion unlike a usual bike. Then, it continued its uneven motion towards the right and the left, before reversing jerkily._

_It was basically like those mechanical bulls that they have in arcades. I could feel my hands slipping of the slick handlebars as I jerked helplessly against my will. For something I was supposed to be driving, I sure as hell didn't have any control of it, and I really hated it._

_I held tight, waiting till this stupid dream would end._

My phone buzzed at my desk, just loud enough to wake me up, but I was relieved. I quickly climbed out of bed and checked it out. It was a text from Miyako.

"Good morning :). Can you please come early today? I have something important to discuss."

I looked at my clock, but it was still pretty early. If I hurry, I can make it to class with time to spare.

Hey... who left this meat bun here? Still, it was warm, so now it's mine.

So, I quickly replied and got dressed. When I reached school fifteen minutes before class started, Miyako was sitting at her desk. I waved.

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long…" I said as I sat down in my seat and moved it to face her. She shook her head.

"Not at all… I'm sorry I told you to come on such short notice. So you see, I need your help on something…"

"What exactly?" I asked curiously. Honestly, Miyako seemed like the type who could always do everything by herself.

"Well, you know it's Ayumi's birthday next week Wednesday…" I thought about that for a second, and she was right. Man, I'd nearly forgotten! Good thing she reminded me.

"So I was thinking… why don't we have a little surprise party after school?" she suggested, and even though it was a few words, I was interested.

"That sounds pretty good… What do you have in mind?" My own brain was whirring with ideas, but they all sounded so difficult. I guess if I have Miyako's help though, even some of the more difficult stuff would be possible.

"Well, I was kind of thinking that we'd have it after running practice in this class. It'd be easier to plan than a house party. We'd just need some chips, some soda and cake-"

"Oooh, don't forget pocky," I interrupted. She quickly pulled out her phone and noted that in.

"Hmm, you're pretty organized, aren't you?" I commented. She nodded, turning her phone to me.

"I actually had this idea yesterday, so I wrote down anything we'd need," she turned the screen so I could see it, and it was all organized to the point that everything was under subheadings. She'd even written who should be invited. So far, it seems like it's me, her and Izumi from Ayumi's Track team.

"Hmm, can't we invite a few more people? A party of four sounds a bit sad…" Miyako thought about it for a moment.

"Honestly, I can't think of more people who Ayumi really likes to hang out with… Even though she is popular, it doesn't really extend to her regular friends…"

"What if we invited Kanon-chan? It would be so awesome of she could come!" I could feel my voice rising with excitement. Having her come would be a dream come true.

"No can do… She's done preparing for her mid term tests, so she won't be in class again for some time," my head fell in disappointment. I really wish she wasn't as busy or as popular as she is…

"Did you see her concert in Narusawa last night?" I asked, remembering what had happened last night. My father had gotten tickets from somewhere, but I didn't really want to go…

Huh? That's kind of strange… In what alternate universe would I not want to watch Kanon perform live? There's no way I'd be mad at her, right? For the life of me, I can't remember what I could have been thinking. I know I am a little jealous of how talented and beautiful she is, but I wouldn't have missed the chance to see her live because of petty reasons like that.

"Oh, yeah… That was great! She really was shining up there," she seemed almost nostalgic, even though this happened yesterday, "I really wish she had come on time. Because she was late, I didn't get to review yesterday's lessons."

I looked away awkwardly… When was the last time I reviewed our class work? I was pretty happy with myself if I did the homework.

"You're pretty admirable, aren't you?"

"Well, I try to be," she added, "so in any case, we'll buy the snacks together on Tuesday… Then, when the class is empty, you can put up the 'Happy Birthday' banner by the windows and draw some cute stuff on the board. I'll bring the cake and Ayumi," I smiled. At least it won't be too bad… Still, the ceiling is kinda high. Putting up the banner might be annoying.

Eh, never mind… It's for Ayumi, after all. That's the least I can do.

Well, speak of the devil…

"What are you guys talking about?" Ayumi came over happily. Both me and Miyako looked at each other.

"Boys…" we said simultaneously… I smiled… I guess regardless of what kind of girl you are, that's always a safe topic to talk about with other girls. Ayumi did not look amused.

"Ok, I'll be exiting this conversation…" she said before walking away. I was a little worried at how fast her face fell.

"What's wrong, Ayumi?" Miyako asked. I guess it was bugging her as well.

"Guys are so disgusting… Aniki got in trouble with his browser history, so now, I have to be careful as well, because my parents are on the warpath…"

"Po-"

"Don't say that word!" she swiveled back to us, "but yeah… now, we can only use the computer for school related stuff…" she sighed. I felt her pain…

"You're brother is an idiot… That's what the incognito window is for…" I added my two cents. In this day and age, we shouldn't be getting in trouble for stupid things like the browser history.

"You're kind of missing the point, Chihiro…" Miyako added. Ayumi nodded as well.

"II don't know… I thought it was normal for guys to be into stuff like that… It's more of an issue if they get caught."

"You're oddly accepting of strange stuff, aren't you?" Ayumi said. I shrugged, "I'm kind of worried that he'll never get a girlfriend, but maybe someone like you would be good for him."

I turned around, and it looked like the empty seat in front of me on the right… I guess I do actually have kinda strange tastes… I turned around, and it seemed like the topic had moved elsewhere. I wasn't really concerned. I just pulled out a magazine.

I was pretty into it, until I heard some sniffling. I turned to the left, where Ellie was crying her eyes out. Compared to her usual cheerful self, it was kind of sad and alarming to see.

"Ellie, what's wrong?"

"Nii-sama is so mean," she whined, and suddenly, I felt better. Mean is Otamega's default mode, after all, so it really isn't anything new.

"Is that it? Just don't pay attention to your loser brother," I replied. That sure worked for me. Still, I wonder what he said this time.

"But… Sure, I guess. I might be a little, little, little bit of a failure…" I went back to my magazine, a bit bored. I think this conversation happens way too often. Otamega sucks is the conclusion which you get each time. I guess it's a bit tough for Ellie to see that, considering she idealizes him. She takes his harsh words way too seriously.

"But I was so confident about my cooking! And my cleaning as well! But Nii-sama won't give me any credit!" Ellie kept hitting her fists on the desk in frustration, by the sounds of it.

"If my cooking's no good, I can't do anything… Except clean…" she added, hitting her head down on the desk. Considering she was basically hurting herself, I think this situation is a bit different. I should help her.

"You're pretty hard on yourself," I noted, though it was a pretty obvious conclusion, I don't know what he said, though.

"Well, I don't know exactly what's up, but basically, you want Otamega to praise your cooking?" I think I knew just the thing which could work. I flipped back a few pages.

"Why don't you make this for him?" I held up the magazine for her, and she took it, examining it closely. It was a recipe for strawberry cake. I hadn't actually made it myself, but this magazine always has really good recipes.

"This is… an Akashiro! It's red and white," she said enthusiastically, holding the magazine up like it had all the answers in the universe. Her face was so bright that it wasn't even possible to tell she was crying a minute ago.

"It's a cake… If you bake one of these amazing things, even that girl-shy Otamega will be all over you," I gave her a V-sign. I guess my cheering up worked, because she shot right out of her chair and started leaving.

Not that it's any of my business, but homeroom is starting in five minutes… I don't think now is the time to bake that. Still, not my business…

"By the way, when you're done with that, you can throw the magazine away," I called behind her retreating back. I wonder if she actually heard in her fired up state…

I leaned down, and Otamega came in my line of sight. I really don't get it. Ellie is such a nice person, yet he treats her like crap to the point where she cries. She really doesn't deserve that.

"Oi! Otamega!" I called. His fingers stopped tapping.

"You should stop treating your little sister so badly… She's not like those girls in your games that'll just brush off a hurtful comment…" He completely ignored me.

"You know, if you keep treating her badly, someone might take her and you won't be able to do anything about it…"

"Please… If you know someone who wants her, I'll give you my address…" he replied in a completely deadpan tone. My attempts at being civil were obviously not getting me anywhere…

"Look, it's just a cake. Just eat it and stop being so annoying…"

"How can I do that now that you've opened your mouth…"

"Just give her credit and she won't feel the need to prove herself to you all the time, you useless excuse for a brother…"

"The Bug Demon will get credit when she deserves it," he muttered before returning back to ignoring me, "how about you try some of her shitty food, you stupid r…" he trailed off she silently insulted me under his breath. Maybe it's not an ideal situation, but I'm glad I annoy him as much as he annoys me. Payback, as one would say…

When I looked back, Ellie was back in her seat, rocking slightly.

"Hey, I thought you were going to make that cake…" I said, but she didn't reply… She was actually kinda somber looking.

So Kodama-sensei handed us our mid term tests back. I, along with the rest of the class, groaned. Still, the most groan worthy thing had to be Otamega. Despite his chronic ignore-the-teachers-and-play-games disorder, he still got 100 percent. It's kind of amazing… in the most irritating way possible.

Ellie's been really out of it today. She wouldn't reply when Kodama gave her test back, and by lunch, she was almost like a deflating balloon. How is that even possible for a human?

After school, I was walking to the field with Ayumi and Miyako.

"It's been pretty dry nowadays, hasn't it?" Miyako said, like it was irritating her. Her greenish eyes flashed slightly.

"I dunno… I guess it has been," I replied. I'm certain there's better topics in Miyako's head, so why is she going on about the weather.

"Miyako, how did the midterm tests go?" Ayumi asked. Eh… school: on a list of my least favourite topics, the only thing above it is the future, be it mines or someone else's.

"I got an 82, she said matter-of-factly, and she didn't gloat at all. I guess she must be really smart.

"That's great. I totally bombed this test…" Ayumi said sadly… Miyako rubbed her back.

"Don't let it bug you, Ayumi… I'm trying to get into Tokyo U, so that's why I'm trying to hard," wow, that's the first time I've heard of that…

"What are you going to go into?"

"I wanted to be a neurosurgeon," she replied, just as casually. I was amazed. Miyako seems to exude the same kind of normalness that I do, but she's actually really hardworking and driven. I can see why she and Ayumi are friends.

"Wow," Ayumi expressed for the both of us, "you really have life all figured out…" finally, Miyako showed some sign of pleased embarrassment.

"Not really," she smiled, averting her brown eyes and rubbing her hair, "honestly, before high school, I had no clue what I wanted, so I just drifted along with life. But I realized that you'll miss opportunities living like that, so I decided to join a cram school as well as Field and Track," I was a little disturbed, because I'm pretty sure that right now, I'm in that same place she was in two years ago.

"Anyway, I was pretty fascinated by how the brain works. Heck, I even found out how to knock someone unconscious with just one finger."

"How can you do that?" I was curious. That would be such a cool trick to play on someone… If I was in a sadistic mood.

"If you press hard enough on the nerve here," she indicated to a spot which connected the neck and the head just under the ear, "you can knock someone out… And possibly remove their short term memory…" she mumbled that last part under her breath. I was intrigued though, I wonder if that could actually work. I mean, KOing someone to the point where they can forget stuff. If manga is any indication, regardless of how hard you hit a person, they'll be perfect when they come around, but I'm pretty sure Miyako knows better.

Once I saw them off, I wondered what to do. Luckily, I had my Hot Guy Information Assignment book on me. I turned to the page which I'd seen yesterday which had particularly appealed to me. Natsume-kun, huh? It was kind of the best of both worlds, because he was part of the Baking Club. I guess I'll go head off to there now.

* * *

**Ok, so I ended up introducing more this chapter than what I solved. Honestly, this chapter was a bit boring to write, but next chapter will definitely be more fun, because I'm going to be covering Ayumi's birthday party.**

**Anyway, I'm finally back on holiday, so I'll try to be faster with updating now. Considering how I've hyped myself to the point where I can barely sleep, I think I'll have it out in the next three days. Then, it'll be one more chapter where I'll go into Chihiro's zany confessions before Chihiro's arc truly begins.**

**Last thing... I got a review asking about how far I'd go into canon, and the answer is that I'll cover till the end of Chihiro's arc in Those Mindnumbingly Boring Days, and the rest of canon will be in the sequel. With any luck, I'm hoping to finish TMBD before my holidays end. I hope I can hold through with that...**

**Thanks for reading then.**


	24. And so, I confessed

'I like you… Will you go out with me?'

That was a phrase I repeated at least six times over the next 9 days, with some variation, and it was probably a bit much, even for me. Despite that, I still never lost my nerve or my enthusiasm in the idea.

What Miyako had said that day had really struck a chord with me… I was truly normal, and unless I was willing to change myself, I'd live in the shadow of all the other people around me for eternity, and that saddened me.

Still, maybe if someone could accept me as I was, maybe I could find the strength to leave my boring unremarkable self and aim for something higher.

When I was cleaning my blazer pockets, I found that ring I had gotten with Shinji-kun at the arcade a few weeks back. Just like the sunflower there, I was also admiring something bright. It was kind of fitting, actually.

When I got home, I strung it on one of my old necklace chains and started wearing it like that, because it was less likely to be confiscated if they couldn't see it.

Still, a sunflower is fine the way it is… With water, and facing the sun all the time, it slowly grows… I've been stagnant forever… And unlike sunflowers, I'm not really pretty…

Well, I'm sure if I keep confessing, I'll get closer to that ideal as well. So I smiled and tucked the ring back under my blazer before entering the Home Ec room where Baking Club was taking place. Of course, this room smelled like heaven and vanilla essence.

I snuck a peek at my phone to confirm who Natsume-kun was. Luckily, he was quite close, so I went to his work station.

"Hi," I greeted cheerfully. He looked up from the batter he had.

"Err… Hi," he gave a smile, but I could tell it was forced.

"I know you don't know me, but I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Chihiro Kosaka."

"Ah… I guess it's a pleasure to meet you, Kosaka-san," he started busying himself by doling out the batter into his cupcake tin.

"I don't think I've ever seen you around here… Are you planning to join?"

"I don't really know… I was kind of hoping you'd try these cookies and tell me if I have what it takes…" I pulled out the package of cookies I had baked before and put them before him.

He opened the package and tried one. Somehow, I could tell he relaxed a bit.

"These aren't too bad, actually. The texture is nice and it isn't too dry, but it could use more sugar," he said, kind of bluntly. I guess I was asking for an honest opinion though…

That sugar issue was actually one I'd known of from before, because Chitose complains as well about that. I just seem to be too stingy when it comes to sugar, because I don't like overly sweet baked goods myself.

"Still, with these skills, I think you could join this club. You'll just improve as you go along."

"Thanks for the feedback," I said as sincerely as I could, "though that isn't really why I came her," he looked up, still chewing the last of my cookie.

"The truth is that I actually wanted to give you those, because I like you," his eyes bugged for a second, and I was almost certain he would choke, but he managed to swallow properly.

"Look…" he stopped, probably trying to find his words, "you see… I-I'm very flattered that you feel like that, but I'm sorry, because I don't really return your feelings…" My hopeful smile fell, "I'm sure you're a really nice girl, but I can't imagine going out with you, so I'm really sorry."

At least it was good that he was nice about it… Still, I felt my throat close up a bit.

"Aaah, is that so?" I said with some difficulty.

"Yeah, so I'm sorry…"

"You don't really have to apologize for how you feel," I shrugged, "in any case, I'm sorry to have bothered you while you were busy with club."

"Aren't you going to take those?" he pointed at the open packet on the work station.

"You can keep it," I shrugged, "I'll remember to put… more sugar… next time," and with that, I left the room with a lump in my throat and my eyes brimming with tears.

I don't know… Even though I'd confessed to Sakuragi-kun, this definitely hurt more. I'd even gone through the effort of baking yesterday (which probably explains why I didn't go to Kanon's concert) so it felt useless…

I was useless…

* * *

Still, on the Monday, I was back for more. I figured that Natsume-kun was probably a bit out of my league, so I looked a bit lower. In fact, I'd even say I liked Tobita-kun better, because he was the epitome of cool.

He had a freaking motorcycle and he drove without a helmet, dammit! How badass is that?! Still, I'd probably never join him on that,

So he was chilling with his biker pals, so I asked to speak with him out of earshot, and away from his jeering cronies.

"Nee, Tobita-kun?"

"Call me Toby," he grinned, before messing his spikes up even further.

"Ah, okay, Toby," he did some weird finger point thing, "I just wanted to tell you how awesome you are," and somehow, his smile got even bigger.

"I know…" Wow… modest much?

"But I bet you didn't know that I like you…" more surprisingly, his smile completely dropped at that. It was jarring.

"Uhh… eh… y-you l-like me?" he stuttered out, and I swear all the hair product that was holding those spikes up disappeared. In fact, his kind of gruff charm disappeared, and he almost looked like a middle schooler, despite the cigarette in his mouth.

"Yeah, is that a problem?"

"Yes! G-g-girls are s-supposed to stay a-away from us!"

"What are you talking about? It's all about the Bad Boys now…" his fingered raked through his dirty-blonde hair, but it wouldn't stay up. In fact, in seems like that confession had broken his image.

"D-do all g-g-girls feel like that?"

"Most of them do…" I replied, kind of bemused. What the hell did I do?

"Screw this," he muttered, "I'm going to Chess Club, because no one wants nerds…" with that, he stomped off, throwing his leather jacket behind him. I just stood there, wondering what could have happened.

As I watched, some girls came out of nowhere, sighed and walked off towards the school building. They all had matching bandanas tied to their heads…

Ah, I guess that's the fan club… I considered making a break for it before I got the shit beaten out of me, but they didn't even look at me. They just walked to the school buildings with hearts in their eyes.

Okay, I get it now… it's his unwanted harem… Poor guy… If only I had that problem.

On Tuesday, I was totally prepared for Shintani-kun. I'd even worn this tacky, but totally colourful bracelet I had found in Nee-san's room, because I hear Osakan people love bright colours.

It was a pity that Toby joined the Chess Club, but it was for the best. Besides, I've had enough of nerds already, and he isn't cool anymore, so maybe it's good he rejected me. Well, onto Shintani-kun, my Osakan Prince… they sure raise 'em good over there, considering what a dreamboat he is.

"Shintani-kun," I held out the letter I'd written for him, "please read this…" He opened it and examined it carefully.

"I can't read this… What doe' this say, exa'tly?" he handed it back. I looked at it, wondering if my handwriting was that bad.

"It's that I like you, with some reasons," and those were pretty superficial as well, "will you go out with me?" I made sure that the bracelet was showing.

"Oh… I see…" he looked at the letter, "tho' next time, you shouldn't use all that hard kanji…"

But I didn't use any difficult kanji… At worst, it was fourth grade.

"Sorry, I didn't realize that was too hard…" suddenly, he blushed.

"I-I ain't an idiot, okay?" he shuffled the note between his hands, "I just hate kanji," his face grew pinker, and he looked down. It was kinda cute, actually.

"Don't let it bother you… I don't think you're an idiot… Still, what's your answer?"

"I'll think about it…" he replied before walking off. I was pretty chuffed he was considering it…

Well, that lasted till I got home. Chitose said that 'I'll think about it' is the Osakan equivalent to 'no'… Way to give me hope, you idiot!

That's right! Who gets elementary school kanji wrong when you're in highschool?! His 'I'll think about it' actually stopped me from dating a dumbass.

* * *

On Wednesday, I decided to ask out Nezumi-kun, who, true to his weird name, usually sat in the corner listening to music. I nearly walked away when I saw him, because his whole aura screamed 'I'm Emo!'

Still, I shouldn't judge. It could be possible that someone needs to bring him out of his brooding shell, and I might be just the one. Of course, it also helps that he's cute, though in a more quiet way.

I approached him when he was watching something on his iPod in the corner of the cafeteria. Of course, because the food is so damn expensive here, this place was nearly empty, even at lunch time.

I ducked down to his level.

"Hi there," he looked up.

Then he stared… and stared… and stared… with those dark black eyes which were in no ways natural. That was just plain creepy. I gave up before I could even confess…

Still, what could he be watching? His eyes were so dull that the screen wasn't even reflecting the screen.

When I was outside, I realized there was a window next to his Corner of Creepiness (I'm trademarking that, by the way) so of course, I went to check that out.

Oi, is that _My Little Pony_? I'm pretty sure that's Pinkie Pie…

I counted my blessings I didn't confess to this dark-haired, dark-eyed, dark-clothed Brony…

Still, it's probably good I didn't go for the guy who wears more eyeliner than me. Yeah, I think I'll stick to the conventionally good looking guys from now on. Everyone else is a weirdo.

* * *

On Thursday, I was pretty amped, because I was going to confess to Corbin-kun, this school's resident model who transferred from America. Surprisingly enough, his skin was almost the exact same shade as us natives. Gotta hand it to anime world for calling that…

I handed over the chocolates I had brought from the convenience store, and he looked at them distastefully.

"What is this, exactly?" He drawled.

"It's chocolate… I'm giving this to you because I like you," I said, probably a bit rudely. Luckily, that line was getting easier to say each time.

"Eh, no can do… Chocolate will ruin my perfect complexion," he passed the parcel to the girl who was sitting next to him.

"Okay, I'll keep that in mind… So what is your answer?" I folded my arms, slightly grumpily.

"Answer… Sure, I'll date you," I was shocked out of my mind. I guess he actually is nicer than he is snobby.

"You can sit right over there with the rest of them…" he pointed to the right, where a dozen girls were sitting, twiddling their thumbs.

"Err… Are they all your girlfriends?"

"Of course… My aim in life is to have my own harem… Of twenny girls!" he looked me over, and the hair on my neck pickled.

"You'll do good here… I haven't found a girl who fits the 'Generic Girl' category yet, but now that you're here…"

I didn't even let him finish his sentence before I slapped him hard across the face. That bastard!

"I think I will be taking my confession back, you chauvinist pig!"

"Give me that!" I snatched the chocolate from whoever was sitting next to him before stalking off.

"You'll regret that," he screamed childishly as I was going. When I reached the door, I turned back.

"I assure you, I won't," and with that, I gave him the middle finger. I've read enough English books to know that's a rude sign, but I didn't really know what it meant.

I left the room smiling when he gasped.

* * *

By Friday, I was kind of exhausted. Considering I had confessed to six guys in eight days, it was no surprise.

Still, I couldn't give up just yet. I was no closer to finding someone to like than I was before this started. I wanted to get over this stupid Otamega thing so I could get closer to changing myself.

I don't know… Even though these confessions aren't really going well, I actually feel like I'm escaping that cage of normality I've been stuck in… I mean, come on… Who confesses to so many guys in one week?

Maybe this is the kind of special I should try for…

So I did the most outrageous thing I could think of. I opened my _Hot Guy Information Assignment_ book and chose the most popular person I'd written about, which was Yuki Fuyuhara. Last year, he was the school vice president, but this year, he'll be president…

Eh, why not? Even if I get rejected, I can still say I had the guts to try…

It seems like Fridays are a really relaxed day for the student council, because everyone had left for home by four. When I saw that everyone, except the prez, who was diligently working at his desk, had gone, I knocked on the door.

"Come in," his soft-spoken voice said. I nervously went inside.

Come to think of it, this is my first time coming in this room. The windows were letting in the softer afternoon rays and the flowers on the desk moved with the wind. This place would be a perfect place for a nap, because they even had cushy chairs.

"Can I help you?" he asked pleasantly, folding his fingers into each other.

"Err… Yeah," I dug into my blazer pocket for the chocolates from yesterday, "please accept these…"

"I'm sorry… I'm gay…" I stopped fidgeting, and a sudden gust of air came in, almost whistling past my ears.

"Oh… Er… I'm sorry. I had no clue," I rubbed my head, more embarrassed than I'd been all week.

"It's alright; it's not something I really disclose without reason. In any case, are you in a rush right now?" I shook my head.

"Why don't we have a cup of tea? It's the least I could do," I thought for a second then just decided to go with it. It's not everyday you get to drink tea with the prez, is it?

"I guess that's fine… Unless I'm disturbing your work…"

"Not at all… I actually don't have any work left, but I don't feel like going home yet," he pointed to a chair next to his, so I sat down there. In that time, he had gotten up to get the tea stuff ready. I don't know… Even though I was chatting with the most powerful teenager in this school, there was just something really calming about him and this room. I didn't feel out of place at all.

"Well, that was a bust," I thought out loud, "Still; do you want some chocolate anyway?" I put the bag on my lap. He put the tea down on the table and sat back down.

"Why not?"

While he poured into the cups, I tried to open the bag as silently and as neatly as possible. It took enough time that he was back in his seat and watching me when I had finally finished. I held the open bag for him. He took one and put it in his mouth.

"These are quite good… Maybe I should have accepted these so I wouldn't have to share," I laughed lightly and put the open bag between us.

"The offer is still up, and there aren't strings attached anymore."

"It wouldn't really be fair, would it?" he shrugged before taking a sip of his tea. I was surprised that he didn't put sugar in it, but I guess the chocolate had enough.

"You know? I wonder how tea would taste if you flavoured it with chocolate…" I said out loud, rolling one of the foil wrapped chocolates in my fingers.

"I've heard of people using condensed milk instead of sugar, but never chocolate…"

"I gonna try it then!" I opened the wrapper and threw it in. After stirring the melted chocolate in, I took a sip.

"How is that?" he asked curiously. I pretended to mull it over another sip.

"Hmm… I think the only way it can be described… is disgusting… I'm never going to try this one again!"

He laughed at my face. Honestly, I don't really like tea that much anyway, but the chocolate just confused the taste and made it sickeningly sweet.

"Would you like another cup instead?"

"It's fine… it was my fault for thinking that was a good idea… Besides, I shouldn't waste food…"

Still, I managed to down the contents of that cup, burning my throat in the process. I know my oesophagus probably hates me, but at least I didn't need to taste it anymore.

"You're a pretty amusing girl," he noted, while I was clutching at my throat, like I was hoping to calm it down from the outside.

"You really think so?" I was surprised. While I've never been called boring per se, though I'm sure some people think that, I don't think anyone finds me particularly interesting.

"Is it because I downed an entire cup of chocolate tea and possibly ruined my throat forever in the process…"

"Actually, it was the fact that you have never talked to me before, yet you decided to confess to me… But I won't lie… The chocolate tea was amusing as well. Even now, you don't look effected by my rejection at all… It's all quite interesting, really," I was a little abashed at that. I guess that even in my own head, I knew I wasn't serious at all about this.

"Well, I do still admire you… Though now that I know that you rejected me because you don't like girls, I can't really hold it against you, can I?" He laughed.

"I suppose you're right… all girls who have confessed to me look a little bit sad when I reject them. You only looked a bit shocked, but I'm guessing it was because of how forward I was."

I thought about it for a second and just decided to be honest. I mean, when someone is genuinely interested in what I say and seems nice enough, I don't really see a point of lying.

"I think when you've confessed to five guys over the last week; it doesn't surprise me that I'd be rejected. In any case, the school prez was so out of my league I didn't really expect a positive answer."

"I understand now… So this confession was more for the sake of confessing than based from actual romantic feelings…"

"Exactly… I admire you, but probably not enough…"

"I see… So can I ask exactly why you're doing this?"

"Well, as you can see, I'm kind of ordinary and boring… I was hoping that by admiring people who were way better than me, I would grow closer to becoming admirable myself…" I replied.

"So what is your actual reason for doing this?" What was this guy talking about? I just told him!

"Like I said…"

"You know that isn't your only motivation, right?"

"What are you going on ab…" my thought trailed off when I remembered something. I was also using this so I'd get over my crush, because obviously, Katsuragi would never like me back, and I was tired of holding on to that… I wanted to get back to normal so I could actually get back to admiring guys properly and with enthusiasm.

"Oh… that…"

"Yeah… That one… So what's his name?" I frowned, but I can feel my face getting hot again.

"It's nothing…" I replied, looking away.

"Considering you've asked out God-knows-how-many guys for his sake, he must be one awesome 'nothing'…" I just sat there grumpily, avoiding looking him in the face.

"You know… there's no shame in loving someone…" he said it so nonchalantly that even in my embarrassment, I had to look if I'd misheard him.

"Are you out of your freaking mind?!" I stood up and glared, "As if I'd ever l-l-love a guy like that!" I tried to say that harshly, but _that_ word wouldn't come up easily at all. All the more reason to back up that I don't feel _that_ for Otamega…

"I'm not trying to attack you, you know?" he held up his hands in surrender, so I calmed down enough to sit back down.

"It might be a bit of an obsessive crush, but it definitely isn't love," I confirmed again, but I doubt he'll think that. 'Denial isn't just a river in Egypt' is what everyone says if you deny too vehemently.

"Well, I guess you do know best," he shrugged, "still, have you ever thought of confessing to him instead of a bunch of random guys?"

"Noooo…" I folded my arms grumpily, "he'd probably start laughing in my face coz he's a colossal jerk."

He patted me on the head, and for some odd reason, it actually made me feel better.

"How about this… Try confessing to him… If he laughs at you, I'll go beat him up," I smiled slowly. By this point, we were both done drinking the tea, so he stood up as well.

"Aww…" he jokingly moaned, "if that guy didn't have your heart, I'd totally want to date you," I glared at that heart comment, but that only put him in a better mood, "you're just so earnest and cute."

"If only Katsuragi thought like that," I mumbled under my breath. It's really kind of sad I couldn't like the Prez anymore… He's really a nice guy.

"Katsuragi, huh?" he smiled, and I cursed saying that out loud at all, "Actually, now I get why you'd be so against asking the Otamega out…"I sighed.

"Though considering you're slightly tsundere and he's a jerk, I'm guessing you guys bump heads a lot…"

"Yeah… My friend says it's like watching a pingpong match…" I elaborated, not entirely against my will, "Wait… Why the hell am I tsundere?"

"Take it from someone who reads a lot of shoujo manga… You are almost a textbook example of one…"

"But I don't want my personality defined by some trope…" I whined, but I couldn't lie. When it comes to Katsuragi, I am pretty much tsundere. It seems like this was over, because he quickly washed the cups before putting it back in his drawer. I snacked on the leftover chocolate while he finished up.

When we were both outside and he was locking up, something occurred to me.

"Why were you flirting with me if you're gay?"

"Oh, that?" he put the keys in his pocket, "I was lying before…"

"Oh… In that case, you should've just said you weren't interested… It would've been way worse for your reputation if they publicized that you were gay."

"Do you think it's wrong to be gay?" he asked, and I mulled it over for a second.

"Not really… You love what you love, and society has nothing to do with it… I pretty much know that first hand," it was lucky that I looked away, because my own words finally hit me.

"So it is love?" I could almost hear the smile in his voice… Yeah, now sounds like a good idea to leave…

"I didn't say that…" I started power-walking away, but by the time I was by the stairs, I heard a 'hey!' from behind me. I turned around.

"I didn't get your name!" he called.

"It's Kosaka… Chihiro Kosaka…" he gave a wave.

"Maybe I'll see you some other time, Kosaka-san. Thanks for today," I waved back before disappearing behind the turn. I quickly stopped, thinking about the fact I hadn't thanked him. I quickly turned around, but when I looked over, there was just something a bit sad about his expression.

I've seen the Prez around before, but he's usually crowded with tons of people. In the end, it seems really lonely to be popular, because once everyone leaves; you probably don't know what to do with yourself.

"Oi, Prez!" He looked up.

"I think I'll come back next week Friday? Will you be around?"

"Uh… Yeah, I should be…"

"I guess I'll see you then… Thanks for the tea!"

So after that, I left. I had a new perspective on how to deal with my issues now. Maybe, if I can get the guts to stop thinking about what everyone around me thought, and my own negative misconceptions on Katsuragi, I could get the guts to tell him how I feel.

In the end, the confession is just about making sure your feelings get to them, more than them returning the feelings themselves.

I'm going to have a lot of work to do this weekend.

* * *

**It was really long, but I did have my own ideas of what Chihiro's different confessions went like, but the further I went along, the more ridiculous they became. Still, here you have it.**

**In any case, this was still fun to write, and for some odd reason, I'm strangely fond of the Prez. With any luck, I'll write about him a bit later.**

**In any case, the next chapter will be a true breather. It's going to be about cake...**

"I heard cake..."

**Ugh, Miyako... Will you get out of the Author's note.**

"Who said I'm Miyako?"

**Stop being stupid and just go...**

"By the way, I invited Ellie to the party, so you better include her..."

**Oh man... Now I'll have to rewrite the whole chapter... Damn you, Miyako!**

"Oh yes... I have a present for you, Author-san."

**Oh... what is it? Oi, get that out of my face! **

**What the hell was that cake for...**

"That was foreshadowing..."

**Okay, there you have it... Maybe there will be a cake fight or something... In any case, Elsie will be there, so I'm sure it'll be lively.**

**In any case, the references are back-**

"BOO!"

**So this time, it's from Boku no Imouto-**

"Boooooooo! You suck!"

**wa Osaka Okan**

"How about you do something about Nozomi Chika-"

**SHUT UP AND GET OUT ALREADY, MIYAKO!**

"Someone's PMSing today..."

**She's gone... Thank God... Though was she always this annoying?**

**Yes, in a review, someone asked for more 'hints about Keima's conquests'. I'm not really sure if you mean foreshadowing for Chihiro's conquest or if you want me to show some of the other girls' conquests.**

**I can't really do the first one, but I'll definitely show more hints about the other girls. In fact, the next chapter will even have some, so look forward to it.**

**I'm done for now. I hope you enjoyed this.**


	25. And so, I played cards

**I don't know... this might be the closest thing I've ever written to an omake, but basically, this goes off my usual recipe of writing, and even weirder, this is in third person.**

**This chapter actually takes place in the middle of the last chapter (After creepy goth brony's non-confession), so keep that in mind.**

**Well, enjoy.**

* * *

On the afternoon of Ayumi's birthday, Chihiro was ready… All the snacks were put on the desk and Ayumi was still in the dark about what her friends were planning. It was definitely all good.

Now, it was only that banner left… Still, the corners of the room were pretty high… She had no clue how she'd do it, because even with the tables, she couldn't reach those points exactly.

"Chihiro-saan…" Elsie said from the side, "If you want, I'll put it up…" Chihiro scoffed lightly. Elsie wasn't that much taller than her, so she doubted she'll be able to do it.

"You can try, but I also think you're a bit short," with that, Chihiro sat down on one of the desks they had pushed to the sides. Elsie looked nervous.

"Aaah… I can't do it when you're staring at me like that… Can you please just wait outside until I'm done?" Chihiro was a bit confused with her friend's reluctance, but she stepped outside…

Come to think of it, Chihiro felt a little thirsty, so she decided to leave Elsie to her devices while she got a drink.

Man, blowing balloons sure is exhausting…

Once she had polished it all off, she went back to the room, where Elsie was floating in the air, unsupported. Chihiro blinked again, to make sure her eyes weren't messing with her. How does a human even float like that?

"Oi… help me, will you?" when she looked again, she actually realized Elsie's older brother was holding her up on his shoulders. She wondered why she didn't notice him there a second before.

"What are you doing here, Otamega?" she pulled the closest desk to where Elsie was so she wouldn't break her neck getting down. Both siblings looked relieved when Elsie had her feet back down on the earth.

"Better question… Why are you back so fast? My shoulders are killing me…" he glared as if it was her fault. Chihiro scoffed… That guy is such a weakling.

"So what… I just went to get juice, and she would've used you as her footstool, regardless of whether I was in the room," she replied. Now that the setting up was done, Chihiro pulled up a chair for herself.

"Nee… Ellie?" the brunette demon looked up from her book, "is Otamega gonna be here the whole time?" Elsie stood up and bowed.

"I'm sorry, Chihiro-saan… Oka-sama said I could only come if Kami-nii-sama was with me. She doesn't want me walking home alone when it's dark out…"

"In that case, why doesn't he just play on the roof until the party is done, then you guys can walk home together?" she was shocked when she heard some frantic nodding from where he was. That makes the first time he has ever agreed with her on anything.

"Can't I just do that?" he whined. Chihiro smiled internally. Boys who whine are kinda sad, but his voice seemed especially cute. Now, if only his personality was a bit cuter…

"But Kami-nii-saaamaa…" she whined back, "you contributed to Ayumi-san's gift as well, so you should give it as well."

Chihiro had to hide her smile… They really act like siblings, even though there's a world of difference between them. Ellie was so nice… and cute… unlike her brother. Wait… Otamega contributed to the gift?

"Wait… you know what a present is?!" Chihiro asked in mock shock. She was genuinely surprised though. Who knew that Otamega had a kind bone in his body?

"Ha ha…" he gave her a bored looking side glance, "I see your humour has overtaken 'nails on a chalkboard' on the list of sounds that make me want to rip my brains out," he was so mad that he wasn't even trying to play his game. He glared, so she glared back.

"I'm glad… Though if you do plan on pulling your brains out, please do it on the roof… You'll be bothering people if you do that here…" she replied coolly.

"Chihiro-saan… Nii-saama…" Elsie called, ending their glaring match, "we're here for Ayumi-san's birthday, so let's get along…"

"Fine… You did get a present for Ayumi, after all, so I can't kick you out."

"How very kind of you…" he went back to his games. Chihiro shrugged and went on to tell Elsie about the rest of the plan.

"So according to Miyako, it's Ayumi's turn to put the hurdles away. In that time, Miyako and Ayumi's other friend will come here. Then we'll hide behind the desk, so when Ayumi comes, we'll jump out and surprise her…"

"But won't Ayumi-san know that it's a party already because we put up a banner up?" Elsie replied innocently, but even through that, Chihiro realized the flaw in her own plan.

Damn that…

"Look, it'll work," she said hastily, "we'll close the lights so she can't see it…" Elsie seemed satisfied, but Chihiro still saw the flaws… It's still daytime, after all, so even without a light, you can see well enough, thanks to huge ass windows shining light everywhere. Chihiro sighed…

'Sorry, Miyako… I've failed you…'

At that time, Miyako entered with her other friend, who Chihiro could only assume to be Izumi.

"What's up?" Izumi greeted cheerfully. Then, she noticed Otamega sitting by the window.

"Whoa, Otamega! What are you doing here?" Of course, he paid them no mind, so Chihiro had to explain the situation.

"Don't worry yourself… He's here babysitting Ellie, so he won't do much anyway," Elsie protested in the background, but I held her back.

"Aww, I was hoping that he was here for Ayumi…" she smiled wryly before turning to Miyako.

"Don't worry about that… Otamega did get a present for her…" Chihiro said, but by the looks of it, no one was really listening. Izumi went up to Miyako, who was by the window.

"So what do we do now?"

"Well, it's kind of bad, but she's on this floor already," she said worriedly. The bantering stopped. Then Izumi steered Otamega to the door.

After a few spoken words, the gamer was chucked outside and everyone else hid. Izumi turned off the lights and kept an eye out on the two people who were outside.

Seemingly, after two minutes, Ayumi entered, and we all jumped out of our hiding spots. Otamega stepped in behind her before returning back to his seat.

"You guys did this?!" Ayumi exclaimed happily. When the girls nodded, they came in for a group hug. Once they were done, the festivities started: The crisps were opened, the soda was poured, and once again, Otamega didn't give a damn about any of it. That suited Chihiro just fine.

After getting herself a drink, Chihiro sat on one of the desks. She felt pretty happy about today. It was just a chilled day. She could hang out with some friends… Some newly met strangers… the guy who she has a crush on for some inexplicable reason… That's what it's like to be young… Then she wondered why she was thinking like those middle-aged Oji-san's who pretend they're still teenagers…

"Who wants to play _Old Maid_?" Izumi held up a deck of cards. Chihiro jumped up at the thought… If there was one thing that she was good at, though that actually might be true, it has to be card games. She'd do anything to win.

"Count me in," she said happily, slamming her styrofoam cup on the desk in her enthusiasm, but luckily, she'd drunk more than half, so no cola sloshed out.

"That sounds like fun!" Elsie came up to the centre as well. Then their heads gravitated to the last missing member, who was currently chatting, or possibly attempting to chat, with Otamega. Chihiro walked over and cheerfully slung her arm around Ayumi's shoulder.

"Hey, you're playing, right?" she asked before shooting a glare at Otamega as to say 'off my friend, creepo…' Ayumi nodded.

"I-I just wanted to see if Katsuragi wanted to play as well…" she said nervously.

"No thanks… I'm fine here," his tone was cold, but his voiced wavered as well, like he was nervous. Chihiro looked between the two of them, surprised. Did she really interrupt something?

"Though you know… Ayumi is the birthday girl, so you should do what she asks… for today at least," the dweeb of dweebs gave Chihiro a glare, but she really didn't care… Anything to annoy him was cool with her.

"You want him to play, right?" Chihiro almost swore her friend's face turned three shades pinker at that statement.

"It's not that…" she looked away, "I just didn't want him to get bored…"

"Coz you're the host?"

"Exactly… Let's go with that…" she muttered that last part under her breath.

"Sorry, Otamega, but you're obligated now…" Chihiro said, happier than she should be… And it wasn't because she actually wanted him to play either… she just couldn't wait to beat him.

He glared at Elsie for a few moments before walking to the tables which Miyako and Izumi had set up for the game. They all settled down to begin.

As Chihiro shuffled the cards, she noted where the rest of the queens were. Then she handed them out to the whole group. No one seemed particularly concerned with shuffling their cards again, which was a relief, because now, she had the basic idea from where to get the cards she needed. She could win this.

"So we'll pick from the person on the right, okay?" she clarified. She looked around to make sure everyone was clear. Of course, it wasn't that easy. It seemed like Elsie had never played this game in her life.

"Okay, you should just watch how we do it…" and then they started. Miyako picked up; Otamega picked up; Ayumi picked up; Izumi picked up, then it was Chihiro's turn.

Her especially trained eye knew exactly which one to pick, so when she turned it over, it was what she wanted… One of the queens… She smiled and turned over to Elsie.

"Now, you have to pick…" Chihiro said, pushing the queen to the top. No idiot would take a card shoved in their face, would they?

Still, it turns out that Elsie is that much of an idiot, which almost threw a wrench in Chihiro's plans. Luckily, Ayumi saved her.

"You shouldn't take the one she forces up, Ellie… That's a trap," Chihiro made it that she kept her composure the whole time.

Elsie picked the card which wasn't the queen, and Chihiro frowned comically.

"You're not supposed to explain the trick, Ayumi," she whined, which got a laugh from Miyako and Izumi.

"In any case, when you get two cards with the same number but opposite colours, you put them in the centre," she concluded her non-explanatory explanation, but it seemed like Elsie understood it enough, because she threw 2 Jacks into the pile.

When the attention was off Chihiro, she softly pressed her nail on the left corner. It wasn't enough to leave a visible mark, but she could feel it. That was the way she'd win.

The method she had was to never allow the queens to meet up, and she did that by marking the three queens when she got them. It kept the game going and gave her enough time to pair up the rest of the cards.

Of course, within five minutes, she was out of the game. So she leaned back on the back legs of her chair, watching the rest play it out.

"You cheated!" Otamega said calmly a minute later, and Chihiro nearly fell back. She quickly stood up when her seat was stable.

"What are you going on about, Otamega? I don't cheat…"

"You were controlling the pace of the game, weren't you?"

"And how exactly would I do that? Marking cards wouldn't get me anywhere, and you saw that I shuffled it properly…" Otamega looked at a loss for a second, and Chihiro felt triumphant that he had no proof. Still, she was a bit worried. This was the first time anyone has ever guessed she was interfering with the ending of the game.

"You said about marking the cards…" he muttered, before grabbing the queen from his hand. He felt the corners and he realized they were slightly dented.

'Oh crap!' was the only thought on Chihiro's mind.

"You kind of gave yourself away," he admitted, "I only noticed that the queens weren't thrown in yet…"

"Look, that wasn't cheating… I was just keeping tabs on where the queens were… Besides, I thought up that idea on my own… It's not cheating if you use your recourses carefully…" Chihiro was trying to be as earnest as she could, but her heart had gone into overtime with its beating and her face was the same shade as those strawberry pixie stix she liked eating…

Considering it was the first time she'd ever been caught, and that it was the guy she liked who figured it out… Honestly, she didn't think she'd ever been more attracted to a guy…

And because he outsmarted her… That's one weird reason to find someone hot…

"A-anyway!" Chihiro stuttered out, "I'm still an excellent player, and that wasn't cheating…"

"It so was…" he scoffed.

"Fine, let's play a different game where marking cards won't make a difference…"

"How about Speed?"

"Fine, I have extra playing cards in my bag," Chihiro replied, walking off. She heard him scoff behind her. Chihiro was really excited for the rematch. Speed was another game she was good at.

She pulled one of the desks from the corner, cringing slightly at the scraping of metal against tile. After which, she started shuffling the cards.

"Nee… Chihiro… What was up with that?" Ayumi appeared by her side as she started setting the piles.

"I guess… he somehow figured out the method I play Old Maid, so we're having a rematch now," Chihiro started setting up Otamega's side as well, and she was doing pretty good, considering she was doing it upside down.

"You seemed pretty excited," Ayumi added. Chihiro stopped for a millisecond.

"Why wouldn't I be? This is one of the few things I'm actually good at…" when she had the cards out, Chihiro called Otamega over.

"You have some nerve challenging a God, you mere mortal," he sat in the seat opposite her. It was bad for Chihiro though. His knees were touching hers, and it was distracting her. She didn't need any distractions now…

"Please…" she said, once she scooted away to a more comfortable distance, "you're a stupid cockroach, if I'm a mere mortal…" Chihiro's eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Shall we begin then?"

"One… two… three… go!"

Chihiro started putting down cards as soon as the two main cards are down, but he was way faster. In fact, it was almost as if a wind was being generated by his arms, because her hair was flying all over the place. She tried to keep focused on how many cards he had, because that was the only chance she had of keeping up to a strong opponent like him. As soon as the last of his cards were gone, she slammed her hand on the smaller pile hard enough that it hurt.

She had won that round, but barely. There wasn't even that big a difference between the piles height anyway.

They glared at each other, before starting again…

It took a good fifteen minutes to get to the point where there was no starting card on on Chihiro's right. Anyone who slapped that empty space would be the winner. Both Chihiro and Katsuragi were panting lightly, and she could tell that his movements were slowing down.

"Tired… Otamega?" she tried to talk him down, but she was too tired herself to sound serious.

"Not at… all… you?" he replied in the same breathless tone. Chihiro would scoff if she actually had the energy to do that… he was such a liar…

"Never… I'm going to whip your butt once and for all," she got the one card ready.

"One… two… three… go!"

And somehow, the two equally stubborn teenagers who had no intention of losing went for it with the best of their abilities. Chihiro wasn't as fast, but she made up when it came down to slamming it. He went through his cards like lightning, but he wasn't as fast on the uptake. It was a close one…

It was as if time slowed down as Katsuragi put down the last six of diamond, and both of their heads turned slowly towards the empty space. Their hands inched towards that little space. That little space which could make their dreams come true… the little space that would define their pride for the rest of the year… that little space was the most important thing in the world.

The thud reverberated in the room…

Chihiro opened her one eye she hadn't even noticed she had squeezed shut…

"Wha… wha…" her already flushed face got redder when she realized that their fingers were nearly interweaved together, because they had both gone at it at the same time.

And worse yet, there's no way to tell who had their hand on it more. Chihiro looked up, and he looked equally aghast.

Chihiro whipped her hand away and turned her chair around, her face now rivaling the Sparberry cola that that was on the desk.

"I'm going to the toilet," she said in a small voice before hightailing it out of there. She really couldn't help it, but she was certain she'd say something weird. On her way out, she felt something hard under her shoe.

When she got there, she went straight to a cubical and screamed. All that tension that was trapped in her body and soul left, and she finally calmed down.

She got out and washed her face till it returned to some kind of ordinary colour. She really had no clue what to do…

She really didn't want to confess, but she's spontaneously combust if she kept putting herself in such emotionally charged situations without saying anything.

"I like you, you idiot!" she said, loud enough that it would echo on the tiles, but not enough that anyone outside would hear. Besides, this place is empty anyway.

Though she realized, when she got back, that apparently, while she was gone, pandemonium had reigned, and somehow, Katsuragi had his face covered in cake, while everyone else was at different levels of amusement. Elsie wasn't even in the room…

"What the hell happened here?" Chihiro asked, her sense of inner peace restored in the face of this chaos…

Izumi was laughing too hard to reply, and Miyako was staring at her half-smooshed cake sadly, so Ayumi started.

"Well, you see…"

_Ayumi watched as her close friend left the room, and she wondered what that was about. Katsuragi was sitting at the table where him and Chihiro were battling it out for the Champion Card Player, or something, just looking at his left hand, which was still on the empty space._

"_What happened to Chihiro, Katsuragi?" she sat in the chair her friend was in previously._

"_I don't know… She ran out before we even decided who won…" he examined his hand, which was still on the empty space. Ayumi guessed the game had just ended. Still, why would Chihiro leave? Was it because of Katsuragi? _

"_What exactly happened?"_

"_We both went for it at the same time, so we were halfway on it. Then she just left… Real girls make absolutely no sense…" he mumbled, still checking something. Could it be he wanted to know if he had the bigger half of the empty spot?_

"_Well, seeing that she left, she must have conceded defeat, so you don't need to keep watching that spot," Katsuragi picked up his hand and flexed his fingers, like his hand had gone asleep._

_Still, that didn't explain why Chihiro left at all… Could it be that−_

"You can stop right there," Chihiro interrupted, but Ayumi could tell that it was to stop her from voicing that thought out loud. Maybe she was right?

"So is that true then?" Ayumi asked solemnly. Chihiro screamed internally… Now Ayumi would find out that she had a crush on Otamega, and she'd never live it down. Ayumi's eyes were narrowed in suspicion, so there would be no point of lying to her, because she'd see through it…

"Yeah…" Chihiro said reluctantly.

"So you went to wash off the Otaku cooties…" Ayumi ended.

"Y-yeah… That's why I left… Anyway, continue…" Chihiro was so relieved she had dodged the bullet. Man, she should have thought of that excuse before.

"_So how do you feel then?" Ayumi asked, and Katsuragi looked up from his still clenching and unclenching fist, "about winning, I mean?" a cocky smile graced his face._

"_That'll teach her to challenging the God of Games…" he held his head up high… "Besides, she was easy to beat…"_

"_Oh… so you nearly drew on purpose?" Ayumi asked._

"_Yeah, I went easy on her to see how well she'd do…"_

Chihiro clenched her hands into fists… How dare he? He was such a liar, considering how tired he looked at the end…

_At that point, Ayumi noticed Miyako coming towards her, but Izumi pulled her back. Obviously, Ayumi went to check on them._

"_Aww… Go back and chat with the Otamega some more…" Izumi said, but Ayumi ignored her._

"_No, we've been here over half an hour and we still haven't sung happy birthday yet," Miyako interjected, but Izumi was gone._

"_But what about Chihiro-san?" Ellie asked…_

"Yes… What about Chihiro-san?" Chihiro asked threateningly. They better not have cut the cake without her… But wait… Otamega landed in the cake.

"Look, we didn't sing… We just talked about it…"

"_We'll wait for Chihiro for the singing, but Ayumi should make up a speech for herself… By then, Chihiro should arrive," Miyako said logically. Elsie seemed happy, because she went to speak to her brother._

"_But what do I say? You know I don't like a lot of attention…"_

"_Come on… We're just your friends," Miyako tried._

"_Well, Katsuragi isn't one…" Ayumi continued to protest._

"_Well, he got you a present, so maybe he is?" _

"_H-he got me a present?" Ayumi stuttered slightly._

"_Yeah, Chihiro mentioned that before the party…" but Ayumi was already convinced. She even thought that she knew what she wanted to say._

_And then, Katsuragi came flying past her right, straight into the cake…_

"So in other words, you don't know what happened…" Chihiro concluded with the story. As interesting as the second perspective was, none of the pandemonium was explained at all.

"Sorry, that's all I know…"

So she went over to the Miyako, who was brooding over the cake. It seemed like he only collided with the third on the left, but the damage was pretty obvious.

"Okay, Miyako… What do you remember?" She gave the cake one sad look before standing up.

"Well, after you and Katsuragi started your own game…"

"_Now what do we do?" Miyako looked at the rest of the table. No one had said anything since Chihiro and Katsuragi had left the table._

"_I don't even get what happened…" Izumi whined. Ellie and Ayumi nodded as well._

"_From what I understand, he caught her doing something illegal, so she challenged him to another game," she tried to explain, but she knew she didn't get to them properly._

"_Was Chihiro-san stealing cards?" Ellie asked._

"_Did she pawn off the cards for money?" Izumi added her own question._

"_Did she send extra cards to an overseas bank?" Ayumi asked as well._

'_Wow… your friends are kind of slow…'_

"_That's not the kind of illegal I mean!" Miyako waved her hands to brush off the ideas, "I mean that she was abusing the rules from the book to make the game go in her favour…" Everyone Ohed in response._

"_Anyway, should we split Katsuragi's cards and just play like before?"_

"_I guess so… I don't think they'll be back soon," Ayumi agreed, so Miyako gave the 4 or so cards that Katsuragi had left to everyone._

"_I don't get why Nii-sama left… He was nearly finished too…"_

"_I don't know… He must really hate cheaters…"_

"Look," Chihiro interjected, "can we get to when I left?" Miyako sighed, but got on with it.

"I don't really know when you left−"

_When Ayumi had gone to watch Chihiro's and Katsuragi's match, the other three went to get some more snacks._

"_Does anyone want gumballs?" Miyako asked. For some odd reason, Chihiro had chosen that as part of the snacks for today. The other two girls shook their heads, so Miyako took one for herself._

'_These are pretty good… Take another one of those,' so Miyako took another one._

"_Miyako," Izumi opened a bag of chips, "do you know it Ayumi and Otamega are friends in class?"_

_Miyako thought back for a bit, but nothing was really coming to mind. They sat pretty far away from each other, so it doesn't make much sense._

"_Katsuragi doesn't talk much in class… If he ever does talk, it's to Ellie…"_

'_Though Chihiro does annoy him quite often…'_

_Come to think of it, that is true. Those two are pretty antagonistic to each other, so that isn't really a friendly relationship._

"_Aww, I was hoping to hear something more juicy…" Izumi hit Miyako on the shoulder, and the bag of gumballs fell from her hand. The majority spilled out and rolled everywhere._

_The three of them picked __up__ all of them._

"_What are you doing, Izumi?" Miyako asked as her running friend headed to the bin._

"_I was going to throw these away, seeing it's out of the five second rule…"_

'_Oi, don't waste food like that!'_

"_Rather, give that to me. I don't want to waste all those…" Izumi looked at Miyako weirdly, but handed over the balls._

"_I'm guessing you want these as well, Miyako-san?" Ellie handed the ones she had picked up as well._

"And after that, I sat and cleaned them before putting them in the bag… Once I was done, I went to call Ayumi, who was talking to Katsuragi, then we talked about her speech till Katsuragi came flying into the cake."

'And so, that was also a bust,' Chihiro groaned. Man, she was really curious about how that happened. Still, she guessed the only way she'd get the truth is if she actually talked to Otamega. For obvious reasons, she was reluctant to do that. Still, if Miyako was with her…

"Miyako… come help me interview the suspects and the victim," she said with a confident air which she didn't really have.

"But there's only one more suspect. Doesn't it imply that she was guilty already?" Miyako said, with good point, but Chihiro wasn't assured.

"Ho hoooo…" She stood proud, "just that was enough to put you back on my suspects list…" Miyako flicked Chihiro in the forehead with her middle finger.

"Ow…" Chihiro's hand went up to sooth the slightly pink spot, "what was that for?"

"Stop making this into such a big deal… I was talking with Ayumi by that desk when he came, so obviously, neither of us could have done it," she pointed at the desk where the dwindling pile of candy was.

"I can agree to that," Ayumi came by as well.

"In any case, I want to see if it was intentional or accidental… also, there is a possibility the victim did it himself to frame someone else, so we should see about that… Now where's my cap?" Chihiro started walking towards her bag.

"You don't have a cap…" Miyako snarked. Before Chihiro could go elsewhere, she started steering her to the other two members of the party. Chihiro hit something with her right shoe. She looked down to see a blue gumball roll a foot away…

Shit… she shouldn't tamper with the evidence… Chihiro stepped back to where the gumball had been.

"Miyako, can you put a marker at where my foot is?" she waited a moment until Miyako could note the place properly before running off to fetch the blue gum, which was an important piece in this mystery puzzle. When she picked it up, she noted that two sides were actuall flattened, so it resembled a cube more than a ball. So it had been stepped on more than once… interesting…

Chihiro grinned… She was a pretty good detective… One might even call her a Master Detective…

When she had successfully located it, she went to interview the last, and possibly, most likely suspect.

"Hey, Chihiro," Izumi said cheerfully, "what'cha doing?"

"Huumuuu… I'm here to bust this case open…" Chihiro put the gumball in her pocket.

"So I'm guessing you want my point of view…" Chihiro nodded.

"Okay, so it started like this…"

_Izumi stood by the light switch before the party, watching Otamega and Ayumi make out outside…_

"Oi!" came two shouts of disgust when Otamega and Ayumi burst into the conversation, both a charming, but totally angry, shade of red.

"That didn't happen, Izumi!" Ayumi screamed. Izumi laughed again.

"I know… it just sounds more interesting. So anyway…"

_Otamega and Ayumi were having a totally innocent conversation, before Ayumi kicked him into the wall−_

"That's wrong!" Ayumi objected again.

"I don't know… that sounds perfectly believable," Chihiro said, but something else was bugging her.

Otamega had already cleaned his face, but there was still a smear of cream on his cheek.

"Otamega, you still have cake on your face…" Chihiro brought to his attention.

"Ayumi, I guess you know what to do," was all Izumi could say. Those words were enough to darken the hue of everyone's cheeks within listening range.

"Shut up and just solve the mystery, Chihiro!" Ayumi tried to end this conversation, and Chihiro was more than happy too.

"Look, what happened once I left?"

_Izumi and Miyako watched the two lovebirds chatted._

_It occurred to Miyako that the party had been going on forever, and they hadn't even cut the cake, so she went to call Ayumi over._

"_Oi, leave the love birds alone," Izumi pulled he hardest, but it didn't work, because Ayumi came to check what was up herself._

_While Miyako and Ayumi talked, Izumi decided to take this into her own hands. Otamega wasn't at the desk. He was actually by the balcony door. After which, he took his PFP and started playing._

"He kept ignoring my attempts to talk about Ayumi, so I thought I'd go the forceful way and just push him towards Ayumi, but apparently running makes you really strong, so I pushed too hard," Izumi ended off kind of anti-climatically. Chihiro went over to where Miyako had marked the gumball's spot.

"Nee… Otamega… Did you slip on this ball?" she held up the gumball from her pocket.

"I did feel something under my foot," he confirmed. Chihiro looked to where Otamega had started, and where Ayumi was standing, and where she'd found the ball.

"So Izumi is the one who did it, right?" Miyako asked.

"No, she wasn't…" Chihiro concluded.

"EEHH!"

"Well… Izumi is a runner, so she must have decent aim, and the ball wasn't on the route which Otamega took… It was something else…"

"But it's a ball… It's bound to roll elsewhere," Ayumi said insightfully. Chihiro thought hard.

"Actually, I stepped on it as I was going to the bathroom," she pulled the nearly cubed gumball out of her pocket, "and considering how much it's deformed, I wasn't the only one. The ball wouldn't have rolled that much once it got squished…"

"Oi, Give it up already!" Otamega slammed his hands down on a desk, "it's obvious that she pushed me… Better question… who the hell stole my PFP?!"

"PFP?" everyone repeated blankly.

"Yeah, my gaming console. I couldn't find it once we'd finished playing Speed, but it appeared when I started complaining…" the same look of shock appeared on everyone's faces, but Chihiro gained her composure back first.

"Huumuu… It sounds like a job for the Master Detective…" she started laughing at the thought, but Miyako hit her upside the head before she went to talk to Otamega.

"You got it back, right?" he nodded, "And it wasn't broken, right?" he nodded again.

"Then let's end this freaking chapter! It's already 16 pages long."

Otamega shrugged.

"Now, can we finish this party?" she looked at Chihiro.

"Yeah, I guess I'm done… Besides, being a Master Detective sure is tiring…"

* * *

And so, the festivities continued, but of course, Keima Katsuragi wasn't into it… He still didn't get who had stolen his precious PFP… All those mob characters are freaking dangerous…

Elsie came back after a few minutes, to get a hard knock on the head from her brother.

"Awawawa… Why was that, Kami-nii-sama?"

"Your stupid hagoroma dragged me into the cake… It was lucky that someone had pushed me before, so the blame went elsewhere, but it would have been bad if people had seen that…"

"I'm sorry, Nii-sama… It was just that I needed your help capturing that mandragon…"

"What can I do?! Besides, you're the one who hatched that thing…"

"Luckily, I caught it," she held up a confinement jar which had an angry, but harmless, mandragon inside, "so there was no harm done. I even fixed the wall it broke…"

"Can't we go now?" Keima whined, "If we go now, I can still make it to the game store before it closes."

He thought back to the games which were waiting, all cold and lonely, for him to start capturing them. Besides, the new titles for the week came out… an hour ago… But he was stuck at this stupid party…

"Ah, Ellie… there you are…" Chihiro cheerfully announced her presence, as she always does… God, those mob characters are so loud…

"Man, you missed one hell of a scene… Your brother fell into the cake…"

"He did?" Elsie replied, confused.

"I told you that already, you Bug Demon," Keima shouted, but both girls ignored him.

"Yeah… I couldn't figure out who did it though, despite my master detective skills… It's a pity, because I would've given them a high five for putting the Otamega in his place…" she looked up slyly. It was obvious she was trying to goad a reaction out of him, and he wasn't biting.

"Look, I'm going to the game store, then when I get back, we'll go home… And you don't tell Ka-san anything…"

"Eeeeh," Chihiri sneered, "you're getting your sister to lie for you? You're the worst, Otamega," he scoffed and left the room.

Still, as he was leaving, he realized that it was probably a good thing he came. He felt like he understood the nature of the memory modifier Elsie used a little better now. Still, it worried him. It seemed like whatever modification the NPCs got was much weaker, and that one girl from Ayumi's club still remembered him coming to practices. From now on, he better involve less of those NPCs when he's conquering girls.

"What a shitty game," he grumbled, tapping the 'I' button more ferociously than needed, "NPCs have so much power around here!"

He thought back to those parsley delinquents and those annoying girls who Elsie actually considers friends… They're just like those greedy NPCs in his roleplaying games who demanded payment or gifts if you wanted to get to a new place.

Chihiro: [You want out of this party… go fall in this cake so we can laugh at your misfortune for the rest of the night…]

Izumi: [Hahahaha… that was good.]

[Now go flirt with that old conquest who's forgotten you already…]

Chihiro: [Now let's go to the next minigame…]

Chihiro: [Here… take this brush… I'll give it to you for no reason other than to confuse you…]

Keima groaned at the thought of a game like that. Games in real life don't unlock events or increase heart points, so what is the point of them. Even real life is glitchy. His left hand had been tingling, non-stop, since that useless game of Speed before. He mashed the circle button some more and tried hard to ignore it.

Reality is even shittier than he thought before…

* * *

**Hehehe... I wasn't even expecting to do the epilogue in Keima's P.O.V. Still, it turned out better than I expected.**

**In any case, Chihiro's 'master detective' and 'huu muu' are a reference to last season's Ryuugajou Nanana no Maizokin. The show was kind of meh, but Tensai is awesome... Nothing beats the loli detective.**

**Anyhoo, the whole thing about Keima's PFP getting stolen... actually, if you read between the lines, the answer is in here, because some characters were particularly vague... If you feel like rereading this chapter, you can try guessing in the reviews... I will reveal it at sometime, though...**

** There is a reason to this chapter though other than being a break for me before the roller coaster that is Chihiro's arc, and that is that there's a fair amount of unreliability in my writing... Characters will lie and withhold truths until they're necessary. I'm not exempt to that rule either...**

**Which is why I can say, with extreme confidence, that there isn't a scrap of foreshadowing here...**

**Well, chapter 26 will begin Chihiro's arc... **


	26. And so, it started raining

**So, we truly begin now. Welcome to chapter 26, which is the official beginning of Chihiro's arc. Incidentally, if you know how the Kaminomi fandom numbers work, 26 is Chihiro's number... Hew convenient... and weirdly coincidental...**

**Now, let's start.**

* * *

_I was back on that motorcycle again, which was now hurtling through the white space at a billion miles per hour. I tried to right myself, but I was worried I'd fly off with the wind resistance._

_I turned my head to the side, when I noticed some written signs. I whipped past them really fast, but somehow, I could tell they said the same thing, only with bigger font each time._

'_SLOW DOWN'_

_I would if I could, you stupid sign!_

_Still, I tried to sit up properly, and surprisingly, it was pretty easy. I guess wind resistance doesn't exist in lala-land._

'_STOP, YOU IDIOT!'_

_A sign suddenly appeared before me, and I dug my foot in what appeared to be the brakes. It screeched to a stop, and I felt my hands cover my head, as an immediate reaction._

_Strangely enough, inertia does exist in lala-land, because I went flying off the bike, headfirst through the flimsy paper sign._

* * *

My eyes shot open, and I was half on the floor in a position that a yoga master could be proud of. At the same time, my alarm went off… Well, it must have gone off a minute ago, because now, it was at that loud obnoxious point where it would be ringing in my head for the next ten minutes. I groaned and pulled myself to the ground.

"Nee-chan… Turn off your alaaarm!" Chitose screamed from outside.

"No! I think I'll leave it on! It has such a delightful sound!" I screamed back. A yelp of protest came back, but I turned it off… God, I wish I had a bat to just whack the shit out of it. Turning it off wouldn't satisfy me at all.

Yes… It's one of those days…

My mood didn't get any better once I got dressed. In fact, it only got worse when Chitose entered the room, holding up a PFP cartridge in his hand.

"Nee-chan, can I have this?" I noticed it was my 'Bakers from Heaven' disk.

"No," I snatched it back, "I paid for it… it's mine!" He tried to make a grab for it, but I stuffed it into my pocket.

"But… Come On! You only played with it for a week than forgot about it… I'll at least play it now…"

"It's mine…" I snarled, "my precious…" I grabbed my bag from my desk and put it over my shoulder.

"Nee-san's in the kitchen, you know…" he gave up and just took it to the next topic. I stopped for a second…

"All the more reason I should leave now…" I muttered before heading to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. I really don't have the patience to deal with her.

I left the house before anyone else would stop me… actually, that's wishful thinking… I don't think anyone would stop me. My perfect Nee-san is here, after all, and every bitter feeling was rising back up.

School was actually my salvation. I could bugger around here as much as I want, and no one will judge or compare me to her.

So I made a detour to the convenience store to pick up a meat bun and the latest Chauchau. It some coincidence, as soon as I entered the high school building, a cloud burst, and I narrowly missed looking like a wet dog, so I definitely got lucky: especially because I didn't have an umbrella today.

Note to self: Start checking the weather channel… Summer is an unpredictable season, after all.

I was looking up the horoscopes, and apparently, I am going to succeed in something… I rolled my eyes… Done already… I succeeded in avoiding the rain.

Eh… horoscopes are kind of stupid… they never work out the way you like, anyway.

Ellie was lying on her desk, looking as dead as I felt. I wonder if she also only slept four hours…

"Aaahh… another week of studying…" she wallowed, "Mondays sure are gloomy…"

Oh yes… the Monday Morning blues… That's pretty easy to solve.

I dunno if it's the magazine or Ellie, but just being around them put me in a better mood. I may as well return the favour.

"Ellie, it's how you think about it. You're thinking that Monday is the start of the week. That's why it feels so long!" Ellie lifted her head up, which was a good sign. She was listening.

"For example," I explained, "wouldn't it be better to think of Wednesday as the start of the week?"

It's a pretty simple trick, once you think about it, but it works like a charm… for the first or second time… Once it sinks in, it's a pretty stupid placebo effect that stops working.

Still, Ellie is pretty naïve… this could probably hold.

Ooh, is Kanon getting a new single? I wanna hear it…

"Oooh! From today, tomorrow is the end of the week! It's the last spurt now, so I'll do my best!" I heard Ellie say cheerfully… I guess it worked.

"Go for it, then!" I didn't look up from Kanon's profile.

"Well, it would've been better if it wasn't raining… Rain on Monday is the worst!" Ellie said, a bit sheepishly. Eh… it's not like pretty words can change the weather.

Ellie disappeared off to somewhere… Who knows… maybe there's a firetruck outside…

Actually, that wasn't right. I heard my name again.

"Please say something that'll perk up Nii-sama…"

Hell no… it's his fault I couldn't sleep last night… Why would I do that?

"I don't want to… If I cheer Otamega up, what good will it do? Besides, if I come into contact with Otamega, I might get infected, which would suck…" I suddenly imagined a whole bunch of cockroaches with Otamega's head pasted on, bed hair and all. I shivered in disgust.

"So grossss!"

I turned to the next page, which was a page long ad for some restaurant. I scanned the details quickly.

"Oh, there's a new all-you-can-eat restaurant…" I whistled. That would be so cool… Now if only someone would treat me…

I looked up, and both Ellie and Otamega were gone. I shrugged and continued reading…

Well, I tried, until a hand slammed on my desk. I looked up.

"Ah, Mappy-chan," then my eyes narrowed… Wasn't she mad at me?

"What's up, Chiro-chan?" she greeted with a big smile. There was two ways this could go… either, I'm totally forgiven… or this is the calm before I get my head lopped off and get taken on a boat…

My God, my brain is warping into Chitose…

"Nothing much… just reading," I lifted the magazine for effect.

"Guess what I managed to get my hands on…" she pulled a package from behind her back.

"Err… Cookies?" It looked like cookies, anyway.

"They're not just any cookies!" she held them like a trophy.

"Aah… Is that so?" I was bored, so I went back to drooling over Ichinose's ad… Hmm… Chinese food…

"Oi, hear me out, will you?" she shoved my magazine down. Hey, I'm still not in a good mood yet.

"These cookies are magical…" she said mystically. She then stared at me for a few moments, "you're supposed to ask…"

"Oh, what is so magical about them, Great Master?" but my voice was deader than dead. She paid no mind to my monotone though.

"I'm glad you asked," she spun in a circle, as if it made the cookies even more majestic, "these are guaranteed to make the receiver fall in love with the giver…"

"Oh… so they're loaded with aphrodisiacs?"

"No… they are loaded with magic… and maybe a little aphrodisiacs…"

"No thanks… I don't want to fall in love with you…" I pulled my magazine up.

"That's not it, stupid!" she put the package on my desk, "you should give it to you-know-who…" she pointed her thumb in the general direction, despite making the effort to censor his name and lower her voice.

"No can do… I don't want a lawsuit on my hands if something goes wrong…"

"Wow… someone's gotten sarcastic over the last week…"

"Just a skill I seemed to have obtained… besides, I'm here on four hours of sleep and my period is in two days… how do you think I should act?" She thought about it for a minute…

"Point justified…"

"In any case, I just insulted the guy… I'm in no position to confess right now…"

"Then that's all the more reason to do it… It'll be an apology as well as a confession…"

I opened my mouth to protest, but Mappy-chan used her judo-strengthened limbs to haul me out of my seat.

"Don't come back till you do something!" she said threateningly… Something told me I better just go with it… otherwise, it'll be my head which gets ripped off next… Yeelgh!

Actully, the reason I had only slept for four hours was precisely this… Since the Prez had mentioned it, I was starting to have doubts on giving up on Katsuragi. I mean, confessing is more about your feelings reaching the other person, so it's not necessary that they return it… Not to mention, a confession is probably the most flattering act one person can do for another. Sometimes, it even causes the other person to start liking you back.

Though it's not like I was rereading my old shoujo manga this weekend or anything…

In any case, as could see the two siblings talking animatedly by one of the classroom windows, so I decided to make myself look busy by the banister, like I was trying to look for someone. I was at the perfect distance to eavesdrop.

"Why… that girl is similar to a mob character! Mob characters don't talk…" wait, is he talking about me? Was he upset that I said he'd infect me? Maybe it was a little weird, but I was a little pleased that he actually cared what I thought, even though he totally insulted me just now.

"So you are interested in her, after all?" Ellie piped. Katsuragi's voice went up three tones after that.

"Not at all! That real girl… There is absolutely no way I would even be concerned about her!"

Aah… is that it? I felt my smile fall. I really didn't understand what I was expecting to overhear, but this was still a slap in the face. No matter how much I thought about him or whatever I did, he wouldn't care… ever… Because I was just a mob character in his game of life, and the mob character never wins…

"DORODORODORO DORODORODORO DORODORODORO!"

God, shut that alarm already! I'm starting to get a headache…

As I was watching, I could almost feel someone staring at me. I actually think Otamega noticed I was close by, because it felt like lasers were burning my side. So I started running back to class, and I was right. Those two were much closer to me now.

"Move it, Otamega!" I swung my arm hard enough to knock him over, but I didn't care… He deserved it…

When I got to class, I put the package in my bag and started rubbing my slightly sore head.

"What happened?" Mappy-chan was at my desk again.

"Yeah… I don't think it's going to work…" my voice cracked slightly.

"Why is that?"

"Well, in his words, I'm a mob character who shouldn't talk, and he is absolutely not concerned about me at all," I tried to laugh it off, but it only sounded weak and pathetic… kind of like me.

"In any case, I had this coming… All I've ever done is insult him, so I don't know what I was really expecting…" I swallowed the newly formed lump in my throat.

She patted my head sympathetically…

"I am sorry, Chiro-chan… I was the one who was pushing for this so much…" the patting stopped. "Though what exactly is a mob character?"

"Like the word implies, they're the ordinary people in the background who have no weight in the story… In games, they're flat characters who sometimes give hints on how to proceed, but that's all…"

"How do you know that?"

"My little brother likes the same kind of games Ka-Otamega likes, so I have the technical knowledge− why are you looking at me like that?"

"You do realize you're the perfect girl for him, right?"

"O-oi… don't say that!"

"Aww… you're so red!"

"A-anyway, that's one chapter of my life which is over… We will not discuss this anymore."

"Fine… so what will you do now?" But I was way ahead of her already. My good old Guy Book was already open in front of me.

"Nishihara-kun," I replied happily. He was the captain of the soccer team, and of course, he's totally drool worthy, unlike Otamega, who is the king of the cockroaches.

Yeah, I'm so totally fine! Who gives a damn what Otamega thinks? In fact, he did me a favour, because I can move on without any regrets.

"Aww… it stopped raining…" I heard Miyako behind me. That worked fine with me though…

"You're still on that plan, huh?" Mappy-chan looked more resigned than mad.

"Yeah, isn't the best thing to do when you fall is to get up and jump back on the bike?"

"Well, yeah…" it looked like she was about to turn back to her seat, but she quickly turned around, "but what you're doing here is falling off the bike than jumping onto a bigger one. You should master the one you're on first…"

Meh, what does she know? It's simple enough for her to say it, but she has no clue what it's like. I waved her back to her seat.

Hmm, now to write a love letter… I opened the page in my book which had his picture, because maybe it would give me an idea of what to write.

He has brown hair, which is kind of spiky… His smile seems really infectious… He's captain of the soccer team… and that's about all… His birthday is ages away…

What the hell can I say to this?

'Notice me, Senpai!'

Coz, literally, that's all I got…

It seemed like Otamega and Ellie had returned, so, by no correlation at all, my magazine returned.

"Chihiro-saaaan?" I looked up at Ellie, "are you alright?"

"Perfectly!" I flashed a V-sign at her, and she seemed a little assured. At least she wasn't looking worried.

"Aah… Okay…"

The day went on as usual, more textbooks and board dusters got thrown at Otamega (Hell yeah!) and it seemed like my thoughts were actually working the way I wanted to for once. Now, all I daydreamed about was Nishihara-kun sparkling as he played soccer.

"_Chihiro-chan?" I noticed him running towards me while I was sitting on bleachers._

"_What is it, Kuukai-kun?" large bubbles of pink started coming all over the place._

"_Do you want to play with me?" and he held out a hand to me. I took it, and I went flying towards him, though in an entirely pleasant way. In fact, I even flew further than I needed to, so his arms folded around my waist to stop me._

"_You fell…" his face turned slightly red…_

"_I guess I did…" I replied as well. My cheeks grew hotter as well, although, I knew it was different than those unflattering lines I usually got._

"_KYAAAA!" went the fangirls in the crowd._

_His hand slipped into mines._

"_I hope my popularity doesn't bother you…"_

"_Not at all…"_

"_Then I hope you don't mind that I do this…" he dipped me back and started leaning towards me._

"_KYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"_

Aaah, what I would do to be popular… That was kind of an embarrassingly girly daydream, but I didn't mind. I just quickly made sure no one was watching me, because, according to Chitose, I get a really weird look which creeps him out. I wonder if he realizes that he gets an even creepier look when he talks about Kanon-chan…

It's kind of weird. With just about every guy I've ever chased, I'd always get daydreams like this, but I've never gotten one like that with Otamega. I wonder why th−

Nonononononono… I don't have a crush on him now, anyway… Besides, that guy is so scrawny that if he ever tried to dip me, I would fall. That'd suck…

Still, my daydream gave me an idea on what to write to Nishihara-kun. I wrote it while hiding behind my textbook.

At lunch, Ayumi came up to me and started chatting about her Track and Field club practices. It started raining around then as well, so of course, me and Miyako begged her to get us lunch. She runs so fast that none of the rain can even touch her.

"Chihiro," Miyako leaned back on the back two legs of her seat, "is something bothering you?"

I looked up from my magazine. Miyako had moved her chair right next to mine, and all I could see were her green eyes, which were lit up with some fire. I moved my chair back a bit.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied happily. I was concerned though. Am I really that much of an open book? I know my thoughts were tending to something bitter when Ayumi was talking about running, but that's why I started reading my magazine. Reading is a brainless task, after all, and it keeps me busy.

"Hmm, I guess they're all different…" Miyako added offhandedly as she was watching me.

"What's all different?" Miyako straightened her chair.

"Humans… They're all like snowflakes, actually…"

"You're right… because we all live our lives and experience stuff differently, we all grow up into different people, even if we do appear the same from far…" I replied, which was strangely deep for me. She nodded.

"Even weirder, we kind of forget that we're the hero of our own story, and we only look at those who are more admirable than us…" Now, I was definitely concerned… either, she's a really good judge of the mood, or she can read my mind…

"Do you have anyone you admire, Miyako?"

"Well, there are a few things I admire from everyone, but I don't look down on myself because I don't have it…"

"Even from me?"

"Of course," she said like it was a foregone conclusion. I was quite happy, "I admire how you just takes life as it goes… I'm kind of a stick in the mud, and I need to have stuff organized, or I just can't survive. I wish I worried less about stuff…"

I rubbed my head, a bit embarrassed. It's weird, but I've never liked that about me at all. I'm really easy going, but I always viewed that as a bad thing.

"Aww… do you really thi−"

Ayumi came in, three sandwiches in her hand.

"Did you guys notice that the rain stopped," she pulled one of the empty chairs to our table. We both looked at the window, and it was starting to clear up again.

"Wow! It's like the weather is bipolar today…"

"Anyway," Ayumi chucked the sandwiches at us before sitting down, "I'm hoping it doesn't rain anymore… I hate running in the rain."

"Yeah, me too… I forgot to bring an umbrella," I pulled the barely wet cling foil off the sandwich before taking a bite. Man, I really don't know how Ayumi always gets there in time to get those omelette-soba sandwiches. They're really so delicious.

"Hmm, maybe you could call your dad to drive you home…"

"Nah… I live close by… Besides, Nee-san is back, so they're pretty busy now anyway… And you know how I feel about driving…"

We both fell silent… I probably shouldn't have mentioned that… It seemed like Miyako could read the mood well enough not to ask.

"So how does it feel like, being seventeen?" Miyako asked, and the conversation restarted.

So after school, Mappy-chan came to my desk.

"Do you feel like coming with me to Judo today?" Oh, no Otamega conversation… that's a first in some time.

"Sorry… I have plans for today…" and I did… With any luck, I'd be making that daydream come true.

Then I imagined myself falling on my butt after Otamega dropped me. I quickly flapped that thought away.

"That's a pity… I wanted to show you this cool technique I learned."

"Hmm, maybe tomorrow… I hope you weren't planning to try it on me…" I looked at her closely, and I noticed she was looking away.

"Maybe…" she muttered, "though I swear, it isn't dangerous. It's like those swinging bars we used to have in elementary school."

Man, I hated those things with a passion. Not once did I actually get to swing myself around that pole. In fact, I spent most of gym wishing I had some magical chara who would help me do it.

"Sorry, those stuff made my head spin. I'll pass on that…"

"Well, it's up to you… I guess I'll be off then," and she started running. Obviously, not to Judo just yet. I called her, and she stopped before turning the corner by the stairs.

"Say hi to Shinji-kun for me!" I screamed. Even from where I was, I could see her face turn pinker.

"W-who said I'm going there!?" she protested.

"You're not fooling anyone, you know!" she stuck her tongue out at me before running back down the stairs.

And so, I went up to the third floor, where the third years studied. Honestly, I don't even know that class he's in.

By some stroke of luck, I did find him, so I invited him to come to the roof.

"I-I like you," I told him, holding the cookies and the letter out to him. Seeing that I made the effort to do both must make a difference, right?

He looked a bit confused. He pointed to himself as if he was wondering if that was directed to him… It was pretty obvious, considering how empty it was.

"Yeah, these are for you," I replied to his unworded question.

"But… didn't you know that I have a girlfriend?" Oh…

…

…

Whoops…

"In any case, I don't know you, so even if I was single, that would be a no still," and he walked back inside…

Honestly, what was I expecting to change? I'm still the same idiotic normal girl I've always been… Why would any person say yes?

A cold drop hit my head, followed by a lot more, because it started raining heavily. The rational part of me told me to go inside, but part of me just wanted to stay up here and freeze to death. It's not like anything waiting inside is any better.

And the strangest thing is, despite getting rejected, I still think the worst part was listening to Ellie and Otamega. I can be dumped a hundred million times, but in the end, it was just a wishful fantasy which I woke up from. It doesn't sadden me much at all.

Still, maybe what I feel for Katsuragi is the real thing, and what Nishihara replied with just brought it back up…

Eh, what's the point of even thinking about it? I'll fail with every guy I try… I should really stop being an idiot and just return to that lame, go-home-club girl that I've always been. How I am now really isn't better.

I sighed, but decided to go inside. There's nothing out here anyway. I could see my vision blurring from the tears which were forming, but once I blinked, I noticed two red uniforms by the door as well. As I opened the door, I noticed it was Ellie, who was dragging Katsuragi. I didn't even have energy to wipe my eyes and try to save face. I just ran down and down till I reached the front.

I quickly removed my slightly damp indoor shoes into my locker and stuffed it in my locker. Once I was done with that, I ran to the gate. Still, it seemed like the worst of my self-image issues were just beginning when I noticed what was waiting for me by the gate.

* * *

**I'm really sorry to end like this, but I'm way too tired to write more and I wanted this out by the end of Sunday.**

**That being said, this chapter is my interpretation of what could have happened in Chihiro's arc. This whole arc will have all the events that were shown in the manga, but I'll be padding this as well. This isn't the manga, so please don't assume it will play out exactly how the manga did.**

**That was just a disclaimer though... you guys seem pretty cool with what I write, but I just wanted to confirm.**

**This chapter's reference is from Shugo Chara, where Kana Asumi plays the energetic Chara who actually can make people spin on those swinging bars.**

**Anyhoo, I'm going to update next weekend only. **

** So when I get back, there'll be some more back story, and of course, the scene where Chihiro hands Keima's ass back to him in a battle of words. I hope you'll enjoy it.**

**Ja ne...**


	27. And so, she's here again

**Gomen gomen... I know I said I'd have this out over the weekend...**

**I was having a bit of difficulty getting this all down, and I kept rewriting and changing stuff, so that's why I'm late.**

**Anyway, onto Chapter 27...**

* * *

Outside the gate, leaning on her car, was my sister. How she looked so good in this God forsaken weather was a mystery to me. I stood, stupefied for a second, before I made a 180 and walked back inside the school.

I hid behind the shoe lockers. I didn't really want to change my shoes again or go out, so staying there was my safest bet. Still, despite the rain, Nee-san was waiting outside. She picked up her phone.

I looked at my own phone, expecting it to ring, but nothing happened. I guess she wasn't going to try calling me.

I watched her for a good five minutes, where all she did was finish her call and sit back inside the driver seat. She didn't leave, as I had hoped, though.

"Chihiro?" a voice came behind me, and I nearly crashed down to my knees in surprise.

"Miyako?" I straightened up and dusted the imaginary wrinkles out of my skirt. She stuck her head in the same direction that I'd been looking at before.

"What are you looking at? Her eyes narrowed as she scanned the place, "oh… is it that car?" she pointed at the ice blue car which my sister drove.

"No!" I replied, and she just looked at me with a look of disbelief, "Well, yeah… I'm just waiting for that car to leave so I can go home…" She stood with me for a good two minutes, watching with me.

"Well, it kind of seems that it's not going to leave soon. Are you sure you just can't walk past as fast as you can…"

"As you can see, she's on wheels, so she has an advantage−" an idea popped in my head. "Though would you mind coming with me? If I bring a friend, I'm sure she'll let me walk you home, so I won't have to stay with her…"

"But you haven't even explained who−" I snuck a quick look to see that she was wearing her outdoor shoes before dragging her outside. I determinedly avoided looking at Nee-san's Nissan (which she had gotten as a present for graduating high school), and walked past it. As I expected, she started driving alongside us, so I made certain Miyako was closer to her side. The window slid open.

"Chihiro… Don't you want a drive home?"

"As you can see, I'm walking home with Miyako… You can go on ahead," Nee-san gave us a one-over with her sharp eyes.

"I can give her a ride home as well…" Miyako gave me a blank look, but I pulled her closer.

"It's nice weather out," I looked at the wet skies ironically, "I want to walk home today…" Miyako looked between the two of us for a moment before detaching my arm off hers.

"Thanks Chihiro, but I actually have something to do now. You should go with your sister…"

I glared at her… Thanks, Traitor! Still, I did unwillingly drag her here, and she's probably supposed to be at her running practice now… I can't blame her…

Miyako waved and left. I did the same, so again, Nee-san drove next to me in her car. Now that I couldn't use Miyako as my buffer, I kept as far away as the sidewalk would permit.

"Chihiro…" I was stubbornly quiet, "come on… say something…" she then revved the car, and I covered my head quickly and ducked. She laughed.

"That wasn't funny, you Bitch!" I screamed after straightening myself up. My face was red, and my side hurt again. Whenever I was reminded of that, that scar would always tingle annoyingly.

"Oi! I'm still your older sister. Treat me with a little respect, you brat," her beautiful face contorted into a glare.

"Look, why are you here? You know just as well as me that there's no such thing as a civil conversation between us. Just go home already!"

"And who's fault is that, exactly?! Since you were in middle school, you've been treating me with the cold shoulder…"

"Maybe once you bring that guy back, I'll start treating you better!"

"I told you that I had nothing to do with that! Besides, he deserved what he got…"

"It was a freaking accident, you know! And if it had nothing to do with you, why were you the last person seen talking to him?" I had her there… She closed her gaping mouth.

"It just turned out like that…" Now that she was distracted, I took the opportunity to duck into the playground on my left. She'd never ever be caught doing anything unrefined as chasing me there. Besides, she's wearing heels…

When she finally noticed me, standing on top of the swing, she gave a sharp look at me before driving off; probably realizing I wasn't worth the trouble.

Only once she was out of sight did I remember I was still in the rain, and I was pretty much soaked. I didn't care if I got a cold though, because I knew no one else would, especially now that _she's_ here.

As I was swinging, I tried to remember when we actually got along. She was only three years older than me, so it was way smaller than the gap between me and Chitose. She actually used to coddle me a lot, which was why she was devastated when that motorcycle rammed me one afternoon while I was walking home. The driver at that time had been a beginner who hadn't gotten the accelerator under control, and I'd unfortunately been in his way.

I was mostly fine, though. Other than the few broken ribs and that one nasty gash on the right side of my stomach where the metal had cut me, I was both physically and psychologically fine after some time. Nee-san… not so much…

I don't blame Nee-san for how she reacted in the hospital, because all she cared about was my wellbeing. Still, it was overkill…

Her knuckles were blue after it was over.

For the next six months after that, I was walked home by her, and if a car or cycle came within a meter of me, she'd shield my head. By some time, I started to do that myself. It seemed to escalate to the point where even a revving car or a screech of tires would send my brain in a spin. Even four years after that accident, I haven't gotten over it at all. I can't travel on cars or motorbikes, because I only saw them as deathtraps, compared to the actual modes of transport they were. Funnily enough, that fear didn't translate to buses, trains or bicycles.

I dunno… I had difficulty stomaching that last hospital visit, but with her coddling added to the equation, I started pulling away from her.

I sighed and jumped off, leaving a nice mud print on the seat which someone would curse me about later, but honestly, I didn't care. I just wanted to go home… Actually, that's a lie… At home, I'd have to answer for running away from Nee-san and for calling her a bitch… She deserved it… It was her fault I became so paranoid about vehicles in the first place, and now, she has the gall to laugh at me… Screw her…

So I ended up walking… I had no clue where or for how long, but I was so lost in my own brain that I didn't notice that I'd walked past the Akanemaru, which was my usual brooding spot, to a place I hadn't ever been to. At least I wasn't lost though… I'd just need to walk back in a straight line.

In any case, I was on the pier anyway. I looked over at the rocky ocean and sighed… Today just sucked… I'd been rejected for the… what… eighth time over the last two weeks, and Nee-san was back, meaning I couldn't even brood at home in peace. I've also been outside for the last half hour as well, so most likely, my books are damp too…

But the thing with Otamega… that was the worst… And the reason it's the worst is because I am that boring mob character he described. I don't have any particular skills or talents… I'm not smart like my sister… I'm not even athletic like my brother…

"You're a nobody…" the voice inside my heart spoke bluntly. My vision started warping as my eyes filled up with its own brand of water… I blinked, and the hot tears mixed with the cool rain before they both landed into the ocean, like the five hundred thousand other drops of rain…

In the end, nothing's going to change… I'm just another mediocre drop in this ocean of life. I smiled sadly… that was deep, even for me… It goes to show so superficial my brain is, that I can consider that deep.

A few more tears fell from my eyes, leaving a warm trail in its wake. It was strangely welcome, considering how cold I was now. Suddenly, the rain stopped… Well, it stopped hitting my stringy hair. Above the noisy rain, I heard someone step next to me.

I turned to the right, where a handsome blonde boy was holding an umbrella over my head. I quickly turned back to staring at the rippling ocean way below us, so that he didn't see me crying. Luckily, my fringe is long enough to hide my eyes.

Eh, why does it matter anyway? It isn't like I'm attractive even if I'm not crying…

"You know," the boy next to me said smoothly, "even if the rain can wash away your pain for a few moments, the "gap" in you−"

"Ryou… Shut up!" said a female voice behind him; I turned around to face the lady who was a good three inches taller than me, with an even more impressive bust. I looked down at mine sadly.

"She's registered with Elsie… Just leave her…" The boy, Ryou, looked up from the tiny notes that were sitting on a rose in front of him.

"But Noora-saan," he said in a tone which reminded me strangely of Ellie, "we can't just leave her alone here…"

"Watch me!" she pulled the guy away, but he was still nice enough to throw the umbrella as he left… well, as he was dragged away.

And, because of the strangeness of this whole event, it succeeded in confusing the crap out of me and pulling me out of my self-pitying mood. I was actually feeling a lot better, and the rain was starting to let up a little.

Still, that Ryou was really cute… I wouldn't mind being a cyber girl in his phone…

I wonder if Nora-san is talking about the Elsie I know…

I picked up the umbrella and decided to just go home and take my punishment… There was no point in freezing out here anyway. It's kind of strange that now that the weather has cleared is the time I decided to go home. I shrugged and closed the umbrella, before kicking the tip lightly as I went home.

My socks are squelching in my shoes and my jacket is sticking to my shirt, but it's fine… In the sky where it had rained, there'll be a sparkly rainbow.

Hmm, that'd make for some nice lyrics…

When I reached home and put Ryou's umbrella in the stand, there wasn't any outburst of anger or people stomping in… in fact, it was just like normal.

"I'm home…" and no one replied. Pretty usual fare in my house…

I walked into the kitchen, where everyone was sitting at the table. They looked up.

"You should take a bath…" Oka-san looked up from her newspaper, "and you should probably do it quickly."

Even more surprising that my mother was home before five was the fact that she actually sounded concerned.

"You're dripping water everywhere," she pushed her glasses up her nose again before turning back. I groaned… she's still as cold as usual.

Nee-san walked up with me to my room, which had me on edge. I guess the screaming match begins.

When she was outside my room, she opened her mouth, and I flinched.

"I'm sorry."

Wait, where's the screaming match I was expecting?

"Err… what?"

"Like I said, I'm sorry," her eyes squeezed shut, which just made me think of how painful it must be for her. Being as perfect as she was, she'd never have any reason to apologize in the first place.

"About earlier today?"

"That… but even before then…" she looked down shamefully.

Hoho… she really feels that bad about this… I should see how far this apology can go.

"What are you apologizing about exactly?" I said, innocently. Still, that wasn't really good, because that sly edge to my voice was pretty obvious in my ears.

"Well, everything…" she nudged a bump in the carpet with her socks over and over again, "since that whole accident happened, I've been selfishly protective, which hurt you as well."

"Damn straight!" I folded my arms, "so is that all?"

"No… I was also wrong in laughing at you…"

"And…"

"And I'm sorry about what happened with that driver. I was wrong to have punched him when he visited you in hospital…"

And I was satisfied… I know, nagging her when she was already apologizing was kind of mean, but I'm not a nice person anyway.

"I forgive you," I patted her slightly bowed shoulder, "you were just doing it for my sake anyway."

I left it at that…

When I was in the bath fifteen minutes later, I heard something, but I couldn't make it out over the music. The door opened, and my sister was there in all her naked glory.

Man, what do you have to eat to get those babies?

"Can I bath with you?" she said, almost happily. I wondered if she really felt that bad about it all.

"Aren't we kind of old for that?" I looked away. I know if I looked, I'd probably just stare. Seriously, those will probably float in the water.

"Don't be like that? Last time we did this was when you were in elementary school," I shrugged, which she took as confirmation to join me.

"Say, Chihiro," she looked up over her fingers, "is something else bugging you?"

"What makes you think that?" I was curious. I wasn't even thinking about the rejection right now.

"Just… you're a lot crabbier than usual today… Not that I'm one to talk… Still, are you alright?"

Was I alright? I'd been rejected today… big whoop… I ended up polishing off two magazines because I didn't want to let my mind wander… nothing that serious as well… Otamega called me a mob character when I went to confess to him… He did me a favour anyway. We're unsuitable for each other in every way possible, and squashing that last bit of hope was what I needed to move on. It was alright… I'm perfectly fine today, being my lame, mob character self.

"I'm fine," I replied, but my voice broke before I even finished saying that. I only noticed that I was crying again when my sister's expression changed to concern. Why was I crying though? I should be happy to finally have that crush over and done with.

She didn't say a word. She just pulled her arms around me and sent me head first into her boobs, which could probably rival Nora-san's.

"Uhh… can't breathe…" and she let go, luckily. I took a deep breath and pushed myself back to the opposite corner of the bath.

"So you still stand on the topic that you're alright?" I nodded, but my eyes were still a bit bleary with tears. She breathed out from her nose, like a stifled laugh.

"You're still as stubborn and dishonest as ever…" she shrugged, but let it go, turning her head to stare at the door, "must be nice, hmm…"

Still, that was the truth. I don't mind chatting about random stuff with other people, but when it comes to my problems, I'm as stubborn as a mule when it comes to sharing. In fact, this has been the first time in ages that I'd ever cried in front of anyone.

Well, except when Ellie and Otamega saw me…

Truth is, I still feel really far away from most people. They all have their own problems, and mines are always so insignificant compared to theirs. What's the point of relying on other people?

Still, for the first time, I was almost considering confiding in her. After 3 years of a near cold war between us (she'd been gone to Tokyo U. for the last two of them), it seemed like we might be getting back to our usual selves. Maybe, for once, I'll stop being so stubborn.

"Nee-san, do you think I'm boring?" I pulled up my legs to my chest. Pretty standard for me to try and hide…

"Why would you think that?" she countered my evading by sitting up so she could actually look me in the face.

"Someone called me that at school toda−" my sentence cut off because I decided that now is the perfect time to lower my head and blow bubbles on the surface.

Suddenly, something clicked to her.

"You liked that guy who said that, right?" And I lowered myself even further into the water, but that was confirmation enough for her.

"Was his name Katsuragi?" I stopped blowing bubbles for a second when I inhaled. Man, that hurt!

"How did you know that?" I choked out once I stopped coughing.

"I kind of expected that… For the last two years, I've been keeping tabs on you, seeing that we weren't really talking… I've picked up a few things here and there… Not to mention, Chitose was talking about his website this morning at breakfast… I'm surprised that he can even navigate the net…" she trailed off, and I nodded absently.

"Wait, did you have someone stalking me!?" I shot up, outraged. What the hell!?

"Well, I can't tell a lie, but I do have a kohai in your class. She'd just give me a heads up on how you were doing, but she wouldn't stalk you or anything…"

"Who was she?" I calmed down a little bit. It wasn't dangerous, but it was a tad creepy… Still, it was because she was worried about me. I felt pretty selfish, considering I hadn't paid much mind to her while she was gone.

Even if we were fighting, she was still my sister. I really was the worst, because I was so indifferent…

"Well, I can't tell a lie… It wa− Hey, are you crying again?" and I was.

"Even… while we were fighting… you… were still… worried… about how I was doing?" I hiccupped and rubbed my eyes, which was starting to get sore from all the crying. Damn PMS!

"Well, yeah… I was the one at fault, but my pride kept me from apologizing for two years… It was only right that I made sure you were fine while I was gone."

"But… I didn't even put in the effort at all…" More warm water spilled out of my eyes, but I didn't try to stop them. I was more worried my nose would drip everywhere.

Man, am I one gross mess right now…

"It's all in the past anyway, so it's fine… I think we should probably get out though… We've been in here for some time now," I smiled gratefully and we got up.

As we were toweling off, she grabbed me into a tight hug.

"Oi! At least let me put on some clothes first!"

"But how can I? You look so cute and vulnerable right now," and I let her, because I missed this as well. It just took two years of not having it to remind me.

As I was getting ready for bed, Nee-san came in again. I was already in bed with Gyuu-kun, so she sat herself on the foot of my bed.

"I forgot to mention before, but I wouldn't worry so much if Katsuragi thinks you're boring… That will give you all the more satisfaction when you prove him wrong," she said quite simply, before she left. I was quite happy that she used 'when' instead of 'if'. If someone had believed in me, maybe I could believe in myself…

Still, she wasn't gone for long… She came in ten minutes later with Chitose.

"What is it this time?" my eyes felt so droopy, and all I wanted to do is sleep.

"We just wanted to hang out for a bit…" he replied. I groaned and pulled a blanket over my head.

"Maybe tomorrow… I'm surviving on four hours here, so I'm not good conversation anyway…" After a few seconds of hearing nothing, I assumed they were gone. Bad idea…

The blanket got pulled off over my head.

So I have to fight for my sleep, huh? I smiled wryly before grabbing my pillow.

"You're gonna regret that…"

They were out of my room three minutes later, thanks to my awesome pillow fighting skills, but thanks to that, I was wide awake.

Still, it wasn't bad… I'd enjoyed that. Even after the bath, I was still in a lousy mood, and them trying to cheer me up did work…

I decided to lie in bed and read some not-shoujo manga till the sleep came back again.

* * *

_I was back in my dream world, but for once, there was a little colour. The sky was a light grey with the sun peeking through the clouds, and my motorcycle was lying on its side._

_Wordlessly, my sister grabbed a hold on the seat and tried to tug it up, but it wouldn't budge._

_I wonder why?_

* * *

As I arrived at school, I remembered the incident on the roof and sighed. I hope Ellie wasn't worried about me. I doubt Otamega would even give that half a thought, so I was mostly worried about Ellie. I did look pretty uncool yesterday…

I stood outside our classroom, wondering what I could do. Almost automatically, my thoughts went to my big guy book. Despite my sister's vote of confidence, I wasn't convinced at all… He would never show the slightest bit of interest, regardless of what I did. Which is why, Yuuta-kun will be my new favourite. His birthday is next week as well, so that would be a perfect time to confess.

I walked in through the back. Ellie was already here, talking to Otamega.

"Ellie… good morning…" my voice sounded kind of bummed, even to me. It wasn't because I was sad that Otamega would never pay attention to me, though… Please, I wouldn't be sad about that at all… anymore, at least…

"Aah… Chihiro-san… Good morning…" her voice sounded really nervous. I guess she must have been a little worried, and just that made me feel worse. I didn't want her to worry.

"Yesterday, you saw something really uncool," I didn't look over my bag, which was on my lap.

"Aahh… no… I'm sorry too…" she floundered.

"Even though I tried to put my all in that confession, it seems that I was completely rejected…" and it seemed like my voice was getting lower as I spoke. Be cheerful, dammit!

I shut my eyes and focused myself into being positive. If I can brush this off, at least Ellie won't worry.

"Well then… Let's move onto the next love, shall we?" I smiled, and it worked. I could almost feel the positive energy radiating off me.

"Man, I cried yesterday, eh?" I rubbed my hair, a little embarrassed, "as expected, the captain of the Soccer Club was just too high for me."

It worked. Ellie was staring at me, more shocked than anything. I guess she wasn't expecting me to bounce back so fast.

"But now that I think of it, the people I confessed to before were better…" heck, the last guy was the school prez… I really do have my eyes set quite high. Yuuta-kun isn't even in a club, which works for me…

"C-confessed to before?" Ellie piped up. I was more than happy to elaborate.

"You see, when I think 'Oh, he's so cool!' I get totally fired up! I just somehow end up confessing or something…" I opened my phone, to where I had snapped a shot of Yuuta-kun. It was a really old one from last year, but still.

"Anyway, Ellie, take a look at this pic… Don't you think this guy is hot?" she looked at him blankly. Somehow, that doesn't surprise me. Ellie seems too pure to be thinking about whether a guy is good-looking or not. Still, I notice that stuff though. In fact, I went through a whole phase last year where I'd rate guys as soon as I'd see them. I kinda miss that, actually…

"This person is my new favourite!" and I upped the positive energy, "As I thought, without love, life would be so dull!" I was kind of surprised myself… It's waaaay easier to speak about love when you're joking about it. I looked at my phone when I felt a strong, but totally evil, presence on my right. I looked up.

Huh? Since when was Otamega here?

"A heroine's love is heavier than that… Immediately forgetting it and changing! That's not love!"

What the hell? Who died and made this guy the God of Love? If he thinks I'm going to take his shit, he's got another thing coming.

So I stood up, ignoring that cringeworthy scraping of my seat as it fell behind me.

"What's up with you? This doesn't concern you, Otamega!" I shouted over my desk. Obviously, he wasn't done either. What kind of epic comeback did he have?

"Shut up! Give me back my concern!" Eh… that's kind of lame. Shut up is suppos− Wait, concerned?

"Concern? What were you concerned about?" my voiced softened. What could that possibly mean? Somehow, he was completely speechless, which was making my own heart beat fast.

Could it have been… he didn't actually mean to say that out loud? By now, I could feel my heart beating into my throat. What the hell is this?

"Hmph…" he clutched his hands into fists, "I once again realised the level on real girls. You're not doing any club activities! There's nothing you're working hard on! Even though you're like that, you still call people unfavourable names!" my slightly slackened mouth shut angrily, "When you open your mouth, it's all abut love affairs with pretty boy who's-his-face!"

And by now, I was pissed. Who is he to judge me when he's worse? At least I'm friendly.

"It's people like you who stink of reality!" he ended, pointing a finger at me. If I had heard this yesterday, I'm almost certain that those words would have fallen on me like a ton of bricks, but today, I was done with him… He was such a hypocritical bastard.

"That's you…" I said, more even toned than I expected. His high-and-mighty face fell. I still wasn't done though…

"You're in the go-home club too! You always badmouth people! In your head, it's all about video games! Is it your job to talk like that about people, you low level cockroach guy?!" and I ended of with his exact move. It's funny though… I'm near certain he was trying to break me with words, and they just came to bite him… Gotta love irony…

"Ka-kami- nii-sama!" Ellie's arms flailed as she chased after his retreating figure.

"Hahaha, serves him right!" Sorry Ellie, but your Nii-sama isn't a god… Sometimes, it just takes a few words to bring them back down to being human.

I picked up my chair and sat down, strangely triumphant.

Still, this was surprising… even though I would never want to date Otamega, I'm pretty sure this is the first time I've insulted him in the face. I knew he was pretty flawed, but now that I've actually pointed it out, he is pretty bad.

And even worse, just that I could manipulate my flaws to fit his… we are more similar than I expected…

For the rest of class, I kept an eye out on him, subtly. Not that it was necessary. I could have hit that guy with a sledge-hammer and he wouldn't notice, because he's got that ridiculous nerd headgear thing on his head. Even as I was leaving the room at the end of the day, he hadn't moved at all. Ellie was stuck with cleaning duties with him slap bang centre in the room.

I had most of the day to cool off, so the guilt was starting to settle in. Just with words alone, I'd driven him into internal hikikomori. And this is the guy I supposedly like… Maybe I really am the worst…

* * *

**Phew, this was kind of plot heavy, though in a completely different way than usual. For one, there's a lot of plots in this story that weren't in canon... I just thought it would be nicer like that...**

**So this week, my token reference is from Mekakucity Actors, coz both Chihiro and Ryou voice the main characters.**

**Eh... I guess I'm done for now. Thanks for all those reviews.**

**So, till next time.**

**Ja**


	28. And so, it all went to shit

"You're in a cheerful mood," Ayumi commented during lunch.

Hmm, I guess I am… I decided I'd take it a bit slower with Yuuta-kun, so I won't get rejected today. I was also a tad bit pleased that I'd won that argument with Otamega as well.

He did start it… I wasn't a bad person for defending myself, anyway.

"I guess… today seems to be shaping out better than yesterday…" I shrugged, taking a bit from my melon bread. I'm not really a fan, but once in a while, it's not bad. Still, it's kind of dry.

"I'm going to buy some juice, okay?"

I met Mappy-chan at the vending machine. She was just watching the trash can with a dazed look on her face as she drank her hot tea. It's way to hot for that, though…

"Is something bothering you?" she jumped, so I guess she really was quite deep in thought.

"Chiro-chan," it took a few seconds to dawn on her, "I'm glad you came, actually…"

So was she waiting for me, or was this just a convenient coincidence?

"Can you please come with me after school today?"

"Depends… will it involve be being your punching bag for judo?" She shook her head vehemently, so I guess she really wanted me to come.

"Alright, then why not?" I shrugged. Cleaning duty was still ages away for me, so at least I wouldn't have to go home early. Nee-san will be at home, and I don't really want to tell her I'm in the Go-home Club…

I brought some orange juice for myself and stood beside Mappy-chan.

"Still, that didn't answer my question…" her face slid back into that slight frown she had before.

"Sorry… I don't really want to talk about it right now… I'll tell you after school," and that was timed to her throwing the can in the trash, and walking off. Well… at least I'll get to hear about it later…

The rest of the day passed without incident, but it seemed like I was right to worry. Mappy-chan did look pretty down.

After school, when we were out of earshot, I asked again. She sighed and twiddled her thumbs.

"Yeah… I was actually hoping for your help on that… you see… me and Shinji are having a little trouble now."

My heart fell. I honestly had no clue.

"I'm sorry about that… Still, isn't this something the two of you need to resolve? I'm not sure if I can help at all…" I noticed we were walking to the gym.

"Yeah, I know… Still, it kind of concerns you as well…"

"How so?"

"It just came up as a topic before, but I mentioned that you were planning to ask him out…" she looked down again.

"Why would you do that?" my voice was colder than what I hoped it would be. What was she even hoping for; trying to mention something like that?

"I don't know, but I just did it," her voice was definitely agitated, "even though I told him that you only liked the idea of being with him without actually liking him, he's still worried about you… and it doesn't help that he hasn't seen your face in over two weeks, either."

Suddenly, a brief wave of guilt crushed over me. Even though it was stupid to mention it to him, I was making the problem bigger.

"You see, he's worried that you may have been lying to me, and the reason you haven't come is because you're still hurting inside, because he chose me…"

"Ugh… why didn't you tell me this sooner?" I groaned. It would've been easy to fix last week, but now, I'd really have to explain, "in any case, how much of the story did you actually tell him?"

"I didn't tell him about Katsuragi… I figured you didn't really want anyone else in the school to know…"

I snorted… that's like the worst kept secret ever… at least four people know by now…

"You're right about that, definitely… Still, I'll have to come clean completely, or he'll never stop worrying…"

I paused outside the gym. Honestly, I haven't got a clue what I can tell him without having it sounding like an excuse.

Ugh, let's just get this over and done with…

Weirdly enough, I'm not the most nervous person here. It seemed like Mappy-chan is even more reluctant than me. Somehow, seeing that meant that I had to step up, so that gave me enough courage to walk in.

Shinji-kun was chatting with a friend, but when he saw us, he waved, and ended his conversation.

"Hiroko… Chihiro-chan," he seemed pleasantly surprised, "long time no see."

"Yeah, it has," I smiled. Despite my worries, I actually was falling back into old times, "I've been a little busy, you see, like, being a celebrity," I waggled my hand around, as if I was holding one of those long cigarettes. He laughed and went for my hair, as usual.

"Oh great Chihiro, I'm so honoured that you can bless me with your presence this fine afternoon…" he mock bowed.

"Well, there was an opening in my busy schedule between now and half four. You better make it worth my time…"

"You got it, Ma'am… I'll have coffee delivered to you right now…" I laughed.

"That better not be coming out of your ass…" he laughed as well before he plopped himself down on the bleachers.

"Ladies…" he held out both his hands, after which he ungracefully pulled us down next to him on either side.

Honestly… I can actually see what Mappy-chan is talking about… He hasn't really said much to her at all.

"Though seriously… where have you been recently?"

"What? Were you worried I was giving you the silent treatment or something?"

His face turned a tad pinker, but he shook his head.

"Nah… worries like that are for sissy boys, not manly men like me," Mappy-chan laughed at that.

"Not like how I heard it… You missed her like crazy."

"That…" he thought about it for a second," that one, I won't deny…"

It got really awkward there for a few moments.

"Are you mad, Chihiro-chan?" he asked the million yen question. How I answer this is really important.

"Why the hell would I be?" I blurted out. Giving a yes or a no would be simpler, but I think another question would actually work better, because it would make it seem like Shinji-kun's worries are completely unfounded, which they are.

"I have two reasons… For one, you haven't talked to me since that day you ran off after that phone call, and even now, you only came because Hiroko asked you," he answered my somewhat rhetorical question with something I wasn't even sure what to respond with. I'm really not good with that…

Oh great, now he's staring at me.

"I told you! I really was busy!" I made sure that my eyes didn't waver, but honestly, the forced eye contact was killing me.

"Too busy to even send an email?" I don't know… between that perpetual stare that seemed to wipe out all coherent thought in my mind, and the panic that was starting to settle in because of said mind wipe, I snapped… Well, more like I broke.

"Look, what do you want from me?" I asked tiredly. I looked at my nails, because I was even too tired to keep eye contact anymore.

"Just answer this: were you mad that I asked Hiroko out?" his voice was relatively calm.

"Will you believe whatever I say without thinking it's an excuse?"

He didn't say anything… So regardless of what I say, it's not going to change a thing.

"My God, will you stop being so wishy-washy!" I felt myself rise up.

"Why the hell are you guys so worried about me!? You know full well that I didn't like him more than a friend!" I shoved a finger in Mappy-chan's direction, "the reason I've been AWOL the past two weeks is because I've had other stuff to do! There isn't a correlation between you and those other stuff, so stop being so narcissistic!"

By this point, I was almost seething. Shinji-kun was head nearly backed himself onto the next step.

"So you don't like me, right?"

"Yes!" I nearly groaned. At least it would get through that thick jock skull of his. Surprisingly, his face fell.

"Not even when we went to the arcade?" he said in a small voice.

"Not even then," I ended off, but somehow, I felt like I should've worded that differently. While Shinji-kun didn't look devastated, there was a look of disappointment that wasn't really necessary. What's up with that?

"But… you seemed so happy when we traded those tickets for that ring…"

"Well, I did like that ring, but it's not like that was a da−" suddenly, it clicked. Er… what? That can't be right?

But why does he look so strange then?

Suddenly, it clicked as to why I was actually a problem here.

"Sorry, but I really wasn't sad that you liked Mappy-chan…"

The 'what ifs' started slowly creeping into my brain… What if I didn't like Otamega? My brain is only small enough that I can attach my affections to one person at a time, so that's why I couldn't like Shinji-kun. Maybe by the point where we'd gone to hang out, Shinji-kun did actually like my personality enough (God knows, he can't have been attracted to my looks)… and then Mappy-chan came. She's kind of cute, and her glasses suit her a lot, and she has a pretty motivated, but still chilled, kind of personality, so it didn't surprise me that he liked her as well. Maybe, if I'd liked him by that point, she wouldn't have met Shinji-kun, and I may have had a chance… It's all Otamega's fault!

Still, there's no point in dwelling about that… What's done is done, and right now, I need to kill all ties with Shinji-kun so him and Mappy-chan can be happy.

I pulled the chain off my neck and separated it from the little sunflower ring.

"Yeah, I think I'll give this back," I opened Shinji-kun's right hand and put it in, "it's a nice ring and all, but if it'll cause problems for you guys, I'd rather you have it," and I walked back a bit, so I really was separate from them.

"I am sorry I caused that misunderstanding, but you really don't have to worry about me. I'm not he-heartbroken or anything. It would probably be better if you worried about yourselves now…"

Well, now seems to be a good time to leave, so that's what I did. Still, if anyone was worse to wear, it was me. Finding out Shinji-kun may have liked me wasn't flattering at all. Rather, more doubts surfaced in my mind, and I felt like such a prick for making it a triangle in the first place.

Great! Now that lump is back! I really should just go home now.

"Chiro-chan!" a voice came from the door behind me. I didn't turn around, "come walk home with me today…"

"But don't you have practice today?" I said in a small voice when she came in front of me.

"I do, but I'm going to excuse myself today. Let's go home today."

"Don't do that! I've already caused enough problems for you today. Besides, I can walk myself home…"

"Bullshit!"

What, that I can walk myself home? I walk myself alone most of the time. I looked up so I could glare at her, but she grabbed my hand and glared back

"You're always so worried about the other people around you, but you never worry about yourself, and I can tell that something's bothering you now! Just shut up and let me help you for once!" Both our expressions melted, and I let her drag me to the gym in the West Building.

When we reached there, she contemplated letting me go, but she didn't, probably because she suspected I'd run away, which I was planning to. But it seemed like a friend of hers passed by.

So, I guess I was being babysat right now… Mappy-chan went inside, while whoever this girl was just watched.

"So you're Chiro-chan, right?" she asked. I nodded.

"Natsumi Kurogami," she replied, "so did Hiro-chan and Akagi make up?"

I guess she must be a pretty close friend, considering what she knows…

"Yeah, I guess…" I shrugged.

"You know, she wouldn't have had to if you hadn't messed it up in the first place?" As I'd been watching my shoes, my eyes snapped up.

"How did I mess this up?"

"You didn't like the guy in the first place… Just because you lied to her, she held back," her near black eyes didn't break from mines. I felt my hands clench up, but they slackened, when I figured out she was right. I was angrier that I agreed with her than the fact that she had the gall to stand up to a complete stranger about a subject she had no clue about.

"You have some nerve… What the hell do you even know?"

"I know that you tried to use Akagi and Hiro-chan because you didn't want her to find out that you liked Otamega…" my eyes widened, "so I guess I hit home there…"

"From what screwy source did you get that from?"

"You hear a few interesting things if you pay attention… So am I wrong?" And I couldn't find another word to say. I was both shocked and angry to the point where my blood was boiling and I could barely see anything.

"I guess not," she said smugly, "so most likely, you're an otaku like him…"

"…"

"So bugger off then… Someone like you doesn't deserve anyone as good as Hiroko anyway… Why don't you go watch some anime with your boyfri−" and I did it. All that rage that was pent up from today came out in one surge which left a tingle in my hand.

She clutched her cheek with a shocked look on her face, but I had no sympathy from her.

"You don't know shit!" I spat. Still, I wasn't done. I could feel my hand lifting up when someone grabbed it.

"What's going on here!?" I turned my head away.

"I just asked how things went with you and Akagi-kun, and she slapped me…" and as much as that was a lie, I was not going to tell her the truth. I was already the worst person here, so let's just leave it at that.

Mappy-chan let go of my hand, so I just walked of without saying another word. When I was a few tens of meters away, I heard a small voice.

"Is that the truth?" I nodded. And as I was standing, she'd never be able to see the trickling salt water down my cheeks.

That girl pulled her inside before it started raining again.

This does suck… and I have absolutely no one but myself to blame.

Despite the prodding I got back home for being soaking wet again (for the second day in a row), I didn't tell anyone what had happened at school.

It's funny… I used to think school was so boring and that drama would actually make it better, but now, I wished it would just go back to how mindnumbingly boring it was before.

* * *

_When I was back in that bleak room, the rain had started up again, and my motorbike was back up to a driving position. What was unusual was the young girl who was driving her bicycle in circles around me and the motorcycle. She wasn't even wearing a helmet, but rather a light blue shark beanie with the hanging baubles which was supposed to keep your head warm._

_"Hi," she greeted cheerfully, not stopping her bike, "why aren't you driving now?"_

_"I don't know?" I was surprised my voice even worked in this room. This was actually the first time I'd even heard talking here, "I guess I'm scared I'll get hurt again…"_

_"We all have to do scary stuff, you know?" she finally screeched to a stop next to me, which made me jumpy again. She looked expectantly, so I climbed onto the bike._

_I started it up like usual and started driving again, though slowly this time. The girl managed to keep up easily. In fact, by some point, she was even in front of me, where I could see dark brown tufts under her hat._

_"You can go faster, you know?" she turned her head around with a tilt that only Studio Shaft would do, "you don't want to lose to me, do you?"_

_Suddenly, I remembered who that girl was…_

_She was me._

* * *

**Yeah... I'm a little unmotivated today, so I'll be brief. Nothing that happened in this chapter actually happened in the manga, but I think Chihiro could still use something to throw her a few notches down the happiness ladder.**

**Next chapter, I'll get back to the story with Keima.**

**Ja ne**


	29. And so, I made a diary

**Okay... yet another intermission chapter... sorry.**

**This covers the part in the manga where Keima was ignoring everyone, but because stuff happened and I didn't want to dwell too much, I just condensed it into a chapter of diary entries.**

**So here goes... Enjoy**

* * *

Wednesday, 9th May 2007

Weather: Who gives a damn?

Dear Crappy hard cover book that definitely isn't a diary

I have officially hit rock bottom… Whoo hoo!

So to elaborate, I slapped a friend of a friend yesterday, because she accused me of using Mappy and Shinji to try and get over my crush on You-know-who (I'm honestly so disgusted I can't even write his name down… Also, I'm near certain that Chitose will steal this at some time, and so he knows, I will take his scissors and cut his favourite soccer ball if I so much as suspect he reads this message.) The horrible thing is that even though I hate that Kurogami bitch with a passion, she had a point, which I why I didn't try to defend myself at all to Mappy. She probably hates my guts now…

As for why I decided a diary is the way to go instead of talking to someone else like most normal people do… I don't know… I guess seeing my six year old self in a dream last night just reminded me of it. Plus, I don't feel close enough to anyone to even talk about my issues (if you can even call them that… they're kinda insignificant compared to other people's problems, so…) Either way, I'm just hoping that by writing them down somewhere, my brain will magically process through them and stop weighing me down.

So here goes…

Am I really that easy to read that a stranger who has never talked to me in my life somehow understood the whole story? Seriously, that's crazy! I've never talked about him to anyone, and the only time I ever talked to him out of school time was during Ayumi's birthday party… and when I was doing cleaning duties and he was hiding from that girl (could that have been Ellie?)… and then there was the time I had to get those tangles out of hair because he was being a whiny baby… Holy… that's still a lot! I'll be damned if I chat to that guy ever again. Chatting to a nerd like him is what got me in that stupid situation yesterday anyway.

WHY THE HELL DO I LIKE HIM!?

What can I even do to make Kurogami keep her mouth shut? I know knocking out a good few teeth would make me happy, but I'm not even strong enough for that.

The issue I had pushed back a few days ago is still there. Nee-san says that someone's keeping an eye out on me. Does that mean I have a stalker now? Actually, that can't be right… I don't do anything interesting enough to even warrant one. Hell, if there was some kind of magic to read other people's minds, the person who had it must be bored out of their mind being in my brain.

Why can't I be more interesting? Or cooler…or more athletic… or smarter… or funnier? In fact, can't God just give me a new personality to something that isn't that normal?

I want to be a chocolate cupcake, dammit!

Why do I care so much what other people think about me? This world would be so much easier if I stopped judging myself on other people's standards.

What the hell does "give me back my concern mean"? Obviously, I'm thinking too hard if I consider it a begrudging confession that he might care about me, because honestly, there is nothing about me to care about. Besides, I'm 3D, so I can't even bother him…

Why hasn't the rained stopped yet? I swear, it's doing that on purpose.

I'm really sucky company when I'm in a mopey mood, which is why no one has tried disturbing me since I got back from school, so I'm bored now…

Eh, I don't know… I kinda wish I could just die now to save myself from the boredom, but there's going to be a full sized Kanon poster in the next Chauchau, so I want to be alive for that… Why isn't there anything good on TV?

* * *

Thursay, 10th May 2007

Weather: Grey clouds everywhere… why is that? It's kind of early in summer to have this much rain

Dear book I'm ranting in

Today was kind of creepy. I had another dream about myself in that dull room, and my six year old self appeared again. She kept talking about her diary, so I'm pretty sure that was an obvious elbow nudge to go read those again.

Still, that wasn't the creepy part. I got woken up from that dream by a missed call from an unknown number. That happened yesterday, as well. I really hope this isn't a recurring thing, because if someone knows exactly when I get by the phone so they can cut it, that stalker thing may actually be true.

Ugh, my neck is tingling. I haven't felt right since that call, but luckily, I'm a decent actress, so no one got anything more than a hint of annoyance from me at school. At home though, I can just wallow in my room, but it just feels like someone is watching me again.

Yeah, I was right… Mappy didn't try chatting with me today either. I know I'm probably being stupid for not telling her that Kurogami started it, but I'm just tired, and I don't want a fight.

Strangely enough, I actually found that bucket list my child-self was going on about. I haven't really done any of those stuff…

I wonder if these dreams are a sign that I actually need to start completing the bucket list if I want to start feeling better about myself. As I had suspected, my child-self did look disappointed at me.

No surprise… I'd actually be more surprised if someone wasn't disappointed in me... In the end, I am pretty hopeless.

You-know-who still hasn't taken of his geeky looking headgear. Of course, just another thing to weigh on my conscience, because it may have been that he was trying to make me feel better about being rejected.

I got a feeling that half-assed 3D girls are even more annoying for him than normal 3D girls. And not to mention, I was the one acting mean.

I really am the worse…

* * *

Friday, 11th May 2007

Weather: cold showers… what's new? This whole week has been so damn gloomy.

Dear… eh, too lazy to think of a name right now.

It took a lot longer than usual to get out of bed today. Chibi-me was in my dream room today, so of course, I felt like a failure, even in my dreams, when she tried to give me a consoling hug (which probably would have made it worse), my phone went off again. I had the phone on my studying (though mostly non-studying) desk, but I could see the unknown number sign flashing nice and brightly in the darkness. Even though this happened near five am, I didn't sleep. I just pulled the blanket over my head and hoped that the caller wasn't in the room. Seeing that I was alive to write this, obviously he wasn't…

At breakfast, I decided to tell Oka-san, but she was in a rush, so I was left in the kitchen alone. I didn't even look at my cereal, because I was too busy keeping an eye on the door and windows. Even when I was done, I sprinted to school, so I was a panting wreck when I reached there.

I wonder if I should maybe join a morning club… Chitose always leaves early so he can get a bit of practice time before school, so at least I could walk with him. Still, I have no motivation and I wasn't even good at anything. That idea got killed when Miyako reminded of that…

On the plus side though, Nee-san was showing me this piano piece she wrote while she was at university (great, she's even more perfect than I expected), and it was really beautiful. Still, I can almost feel my throat close when she played it, so the bitter sweet emotion behind it was really strong. I wonder how she wrote it so well, because she's only been playing for a year now…

It's music like this which made me wish I could play an instrument. Why try, though? I'll give up in a week anyway...

Things are still as before, You-know-who is still ignoring the world, and I'm still on the receiving end of the silent treatment from Mappy.

Still, I managed to make time today to meet up with the prez, as I'd promised. It was fun, but I don't get it… he actually seems to have a lot of fun chatting with me. I don't really consider myself boring, unlike a certain someone does, but it's still a bit disconcerting how much attention the prez can give. Maybe it's because he's confident, but he can keep eye contact all the time, and I have no clue how…

At any rate, I won't be sleeping tonight, because I'll be listening out for my phone. Even though it comes once a day, and there's absolutely no indication of anything abnormal otherwise, I know I'm way too scared to even shut my eyes anymore, so I'll sit in the corner of my room tonight.

I felt like such a baby for hugging Gyuu-kun and plugging in my old night light, though.

* * *

Saturday, 12th May 2007

Weather: It's like the earth and the sun had a huge fight which the clouds are intervening in.

Dear... book... I'm so creative today...

As I expected, I pulled an all-nighter. That call didn't come tonight, so it might have been possible that I had just been imagining it, and it was just a coincident, but I really don't know.

So, as usual, after an all-nighter, I'm like a glaring zombie. I even drank coffee so I could stay up as long as I can, because I'm worried that if I fall asleep, that call will come again. Just the fact that the number is hidden concerns me, and I've been waking up to that call for the last four days.

Luckily, nothing really strange is going on otherwise, and my life is completely normal. The Takahara's came over for lunch, which I was unfortunately roped into helping, but afterwards, me and Ayumi had fun locking Nee-san and Ayumi's brother into the coat closet that is conveniently in our house, despite us not really using it.

I won't lie… I've actually missed this a lot. Because Ayumi is so involved in clubs, and I tend to go into slight jealousy moods, we don't hang out much at school. I really hope that it'll change and I'll come to terms with the fact that I'll just never be as talented or as hardworking as Ayumi.

Weirdly enough, the first thing on Chibi-me's bucket list is to beat Ayumi in a race… Fat chance…

Now that the liveliness has gone down around here, and Nee-san has stopped screaming about said closet incident, that creepy feeling is back again. I got a feeling I probably won't be sleeping again.

In any case, I've stolen the coffee machine and set it up here, so at least I will have the energy to stay up. As TV seems to be as pointless and stupid as usual, I decided to give 'Bakers from Heaven' another shot. As good looking as the guys in school can be, it's still cooler that games have so many hair colours.

So tonight, I shall stay up playing games… If this was a manga, I'd be pretty cool, but in real life, I'll probably be like Otamega… If I wasn't so tired, I'd probably care more.

* * *

Sunday 13th May 2007

Weather: God knows… I was asleep the whole day.

Dear you... yes, you... the one who's actually paying attention to this... it better not be Chitose, or bye bye, brand new soccer ball...

Yeah… my all-nighter kind of worked. Of course, when Nee-san came in at 8 am to ask why I was up. Obviously, with the bags under my eyes, she didn't believe that I had slept at all.

In the end, I caved and told her about those phone calls, like I had been planning to do with my mother two days ago. She brought a large pair of scissors (for what reason, I'm not really sure… Coz if someone comes to my room, I'll be a little busy being petrified to actually attack the intruder back) and told me the rather simple solution of turning off my phone, but I was irritated. The phone calls weren't the problem as much as it was the paranoia of thinking that someone was watching my every move.

Luckily, the call didn't come. I was too tired to feel restless, and Nee-san was watching my phone, which was a relief. When she woke me up at night and reported the lack of creepy stalker calls, I was really relieved. I don't know what coincident had if always be a private number calling in the morning, but I think my fears may have been unfounded.

Still, Nee-san offered to let me sleep in her room today. I think I'll take her up on that, because I am still a little tense.

Chibi-me came in my dream again, chastising me for staying up for two nights. I didn't hear much more about it, because that was around the time she woke me up.

* * *

**Hah, this was surprisingly simple to write. I forgot how simple diary entries are.**

**Also, the plot will continue next chapter. I've finally gotten down to making a timeline for this arc, so now I can guarantee that the after school cleaning scene will come next time.**

**In fact, I'll probably cover a day a chapter now, so you're nearly there.**

**That being said, while I know what I'm writing, there is a decent amount which is getting written by the seat of my pants. If anyone has some scene or scenario they want to see played out in Chihiro's arc, please leave me a review or a PM, and I'll try to write it in.**

**Ja ne!**


	30. And so, it's always raining

As I expected, I was exhausted by the time I got to school. I guess sleeping fifteen hours over three days really isn't good at all.

In any case, Chibi-me didn't appear in my dreams again. Mostly, I think my body was too tired to even dream. There's no point in really dwelling about it anyway, because Nikaido-sensei is ready to start class.

Oh great, Oda Nobunaga again…

Come on… we already know he sucked… can't we just skip this discussion?

Come to think of it, didn't Oda Nobuhide have eight sons who had 'Nobu' as the first part of their first name? The themed naming was really too much…

Not that my family can talk… all us siblings have our names starting with 'Chi'. What's so good about 'a thousand' anyway?

Ehhhh… This is boring…

Ayumi shook me awake at lunch time. I was starving. Unluckily, Ayumi had already brought her bread from the vendor, so I couldn't really ask her to get me any. It's a shame, because Ayumi somehow always knows how to get the Omelette-Soba sandwiches.

Once I was back with a plain old Melon Bread (the Omelette-Soba sandwich was sold out, obviously) and a drink, I walked right into a conversation. Ellie was crying again.

In my seat, Ayumi gave me the 411. It seems like Otamega was eaten by his games, and has basically been ignoring everyone including Ellie. Usually, I'd say it was good riddance, but this was going on since Tuesday last week… since I called him out on his hypocrisy… It may have been my fault, right?

"W-well… this doesn't seem to be my fault…" I muttered, trying to assure myself. I mean, I was just defending myself… Still, I called him a cockroach, which was pretty mean…

"I'm not the bad guy, right?" I asked Ayumi, "Otamega started it!" But in the end, I wasn't fooling anyone. It was my fault that Katsuragi hated anything real, and I was making Ellie's life difficult as well… some friend I am? Not to mention the amount of hurt I seemed to have dished to Otamega…

He's surprisingly sensitive, isn't he? That's kind of cute…

No! Bad Chihiro! He isn't cute!

Ayumi went off to do something, so I turned back to chat with Ellie. Seeing that it was my fault, I should at least distract her or something… I don't want her to keep moping.

Weirdly enough, it wasn't necessary, because now, she was just looking at me curiously.

"Chihiro-san… Why is your face pink?"

"I-It isn't!" I looked into my bag to pull out a magazine, but that wasn't necessary. Ellie left to look out of the window. I just shrugged and read the magazine anyway… It's not like I had anyone better to talk to anyway…

The rest of the day went on as usual… Somehow, I got roped into doing cleaning duty in Ayumi's stead, but I didn't mind… Just one more boring thing to add onto the boringness that is my life… At least she's out practicing. Luckily, the weather seems mostly cloudy now, so I doubt she'll have trouble with that.

Still, I noticed, as I clicked the lead out of my mechanical pencil for the fifth time today… I should apologize… both to Mappy-chan and Otamega… My mood has been pretty unreasonable for the last two weeks, and PMS should not be lasting that long… Maybe I'm just a bitch after all…

Luckily, my chance to redeem myself came… just after school, in fact, when I realised who Ayumi usually does cleaning duty with.

"Why am I cleaning with you?" Otamega asked, completely unimpressed at my appearance… Well, he's talking now, so maybe Ellie was exaggerating… Despite my guilt, I could feel myself steeling up again. This guy is still pretty irritating…

"Because I was asked to do it," I said, probably more rudely than necessary, "Ayumi said she had practice and needed to switch with me…" Come to think of that, this was probably on purpose… Still, I wasn't sorry for defending myself, so do I have to apologise?

"I won't go along with this obvious setup," he voiced my own thoughts, "let's just start cleaning," and I was more than happy to comply.

"Hmph, I already know that," and I walked away to sweep the aisle by the window. I didn't really want to push the tables, because the scraping always freaks me out… Still, even now, Otamega was doing it and the hairs in my neck weren't going up. I guess he's more silent when he pushes tables…

Still, just noticing that helped with my stubbornness. Even through small stuff like that, I can tell that he isn't a bad guy. I did feel sorry for sending him into a gaming tizz… Still, I wasn't wrong in what I'd said. I was just cruel.

"I-I'm just going to say this now," I was glad he couldn't see my face, because I could feel the shame heating it up again, "I… I don't think I'm sorry, but calling you a cockroach might have been a little much…" I turned around slightly to look at him, before swishing back even faster. What the hell was up with that look? Was it really that weird I apologised?

Out of the window, I noticed two boys looking through the window, and that conversation with Mappy-chan's bitchy friend came to mind. This school has way too many rumour spreaders, and I can't be seen with Otamega, even if it is only for cleaning duty.

I quickly went over to where he was sweeping and shoved his head down, trying to ignore that oddly familiar sensation of his hair.

My God, considering I've touched his hair like… twice… and I still remember how soft it is… I'm like one of those creepy stalkers… I need help…

Still, it was a relief, now that we were both out of sight of those staring guys, I crawled towards the window, and I could feel Otamega follow suit.

Come to think of it, I had been so worried about being caught that I didn't even notice that one of those guys were Yuuta-kun, who I had been thinking about confessing too. From this slightly lower point, he did look really cute, with his kind of shaggy hairstyle.

Now, if only the guy next to me wasn't the one who begrudgingly had my affections…

Shit, he caught me staring… Quick, say something, brain!

"Aah…" I turned over so my back was against the wall, "he sure is cool… that Yuuta-kun," but to me, I just sounded nervous. I heard a light thud next to me.

"Big difference from you," I said, mostly to myself. Obviously my brain must be pretty broken… Yuuta-kun is a way better choice, but my brain just doesn't get it…

"Who really cares?" he shrugged, looking away. Honestly, I don't know if I admire how he doesn't give a damn what others think of him, or if I pity that he'll never be part of society. I lifted my hands and put the behind my head so it'd at least make a barrier between us. Like seriously, we're nearly shoulder to shoulder.

"I wonder if I can get a little closer to him somehow," I mused. Since it was a given that I'd never ever try confessing to Katsuragi, I may as well go for Yuuta-kun properly. Heck, his birthday's this Friday. I might get lucky if I could get a present that'd blow his socks off.

"It seems that it's almost his birthday as well. I've been looking for a good present for him in magazines, but−"

"Heh… how foolish…" my eyes snapped open. Magazines have everything… I only haven't seen anything coz I haven't searched yet. I looked over to glare at him, but he was more absorbed in pushing up his glasses.

"Magazines?" he scoffed, "if you were to fall on such a suitable item, you wouldn't have that problem…"

"What does he like?" he stared me full in the face, "his personality? Hair colour? What club is he in?" and each time he said another question, he leaned closer, "your approach will be based on those things," what the hell, dude? Is he trying to assert his dominance by invading my personal bubble?

"I-I don't know!" I turned my body away from him, but my voice was a good pitch higher, "I just got to know him recently…"

Say… what does hair colour have to do with anything? I didn't really have dye in mind for a present…

"To capture your partner without doing an analysis is absolutely absurd," he said with complete confidence, probably not even noticing my nerves, "it's like going to an expedition to the North Pole in a swim suit," he chuckled, as if I was some misled soul who was on the receiving end of some really obvious practical joke.

"Wha-what about it!?" I shouted, as if it'd stop him making fun of me. Still, in his eyes, he was kind enough to continue informing me of my stupidity. I just wanted to go home.

"I never neglect to analyse, and that's why I get my confession events every time," he was standing up by now and pushing his glasses up again. Still, I didn't feel foolish. All he has are his games.

"That's just game talk anyways," I tried to dish his brand of looking down on people by laughing at him, but it didn't work.

"And what if it is?" he smirked… well, it sounded like he was smirking, but I couldn't see his face, "have you ever confessed and succeeded before?"

"Yeah," I lied, "wh-who cares about that though?" I'm pretty sure the stuttering gave me away. I heard a humph from behind me as he continued to look down on me.

"To group me together with people who fail to succeed in a game or the real world… ridiculous…" I used the table behind me to pull myself up.

Some nerve this guy has? I hate him!

"Big talk coming from someone who's never been in love before!" I faced him head on, raising my voice.

"Have you ever had a date or kissed before? In real life?" A bright blush came on his face, and I realised I was doing the exact same thing he was doing by invading his space.

Still, I had him there… There's no way the nerdy Otamega could ever score a girl in real life… Still, why is he red?

"Th-those we-weren't really anything at all?" he replied in a small voice. It clicked.

"Eh! You have!?" I grabbed his collar, more curious than anything, "You seriously have!?"

"Shut up!" he screamed, so I stopped shaking him.

"Who was she?" But then, I remembered where we were. Yuuta-kun and his friend were still outside, and the noise coming from inside the classroom meant they were looking again. I groaned and shoved Katsuragi down.

Well, not so much shoved as I did pull him down on me, knocking one table over and disturbing a couple more. I really just didn't want to be seen with him.

Still, I noticed a split second before we landed, that had not been a smart choice. Even if it's only the back of his head, he's practically on my chest. If Yuuta-kun was to come in now, he'd see something even more compromising than a game of Twister.

"Be quiet now… Geez!" I whispered, covering his mouth. They can't come in now, or it'll be even worse.

Not that it helped… He was wriggling like a caterpillar, so his hair was tickling my chin, and I could feel his attempts to talk and groan against my hand. In a way, I was kind of glad he was moving, because if he stopped, he'd probably hear my heart working on double time. I used my legs to shove me into a sitting position and his head slid down to my lap as well. Phew!

"But you really don't know anything about love," I tried to assure myself, but I was dead wrong… Considering that he's actually kissed a girl who isn't his mother and he has enough gaming experience in romantic games for 100 normal people, this guy gets it… Romance wise, he's worlds ahead of me.

"Then… tell me what I should do…"

"…"

"If you can talk that big, then show me… With your knowledge," I emphasised by pointing, "show me my successful confession!"

"Please get off me…" he said, after a few seconds of silence. I only noticed then that my legs were still holding him down. I quickly flattened my legs and shoved my skirt down.

"I-it's not like I wanted you here anyway," I avoided looking at him until he got off my lap.

In fact, I avoided looking at him for the rest of duty, because I knew the fact that I didn't actually mind having him that close would be obvious on my face.

By the time I left the school, the sky had almost brightened to what it normally was, but my own erratic thoughts were hidden by a completely blank face.

Maybe, for the first time in ages, I had absolutely no clue what to make of what happened there. I could hear my heart beating into my ears, with a regular, if not slightly faster than normal, beat. Scared… happy… worked up... angry… annoyed… Even those words wouldn't sum up the chaos that is my brain right now…

So I went to sleep instead of dwelling too much in what I couldn't explain…

By the time I woke up, Chitose was back from his club activities, so I could hear the ruckus outside. My door opened.

"Nee-san, she's awake!" My brother called out. Just that was enough to set off the headache that had been threatening since I left school. He then made a jump next to me.

"How was school today, Nee-chan?" I shrugged… Same shit, different day… Though this afternoon…

"What about you, Chitose?" I shifted myself so he wasn't sitting on my legs, like a certain someone earlier.

"School sucked, but practice was great. Look what I drew!" He shoved a sheet in my face, and it took a moment for my eyes to focus. It looked like a doodle of some sort.

"That's you," he pointed at the one figure, "and that's Otoshi-nii-san," he pointed at the other figure. I blanched, recognising exactly where this was going.

"That's just wishful thinking for you…" I handed the paper back, "I don't even like him. Also, don't call him that… That's just creepy!"

"Don't be like that, Nee-chan. I know that one day you'll marry him, then I'll come over and borrow his games!" Oh, so there's his reasoning… Wait!

"P-Pfft! The chances that demons and witches exist are higher than me ever going for a guy like…" Chitose opened his mouth, but Nee-san put her hand on his head, effectively shutting him up.

"Just leave it, Chitose… Speaking of which, there's a bar of chocolate on my desk, waiting for you. Go get it now," his face lit up, and he left, unfortunately leaving the picture on the bed. Nee-san sat down by my feet, before picking up the picture.

"This is pretty cute, huh?" she held it towards me, but I refused to look at it, "you holding an umbrella over him while he plays his console thingy…"

"PFP" I corrected instinctively, "it's called a PFP," and I hated how well I knew this stuff. I'm not a nerd, so why should I know this?

"Yeah, his PFP…" she pulled it right in front of her face.

"So is this this why you're here?" I asked rudely.

"Umm… No, I had something else."

"Out with it, then, I'm tired of that conversation…" and I could feel my temper slowly rising. Not really at my sister, but at everything. Mostly at myself though…

"Come on, I thought you liked talking about romance…" she tried joking around, but it only made it worse.

"Not when it's between me and some nerdy loser, that for some reason, I can never truly hate…"

"But I'm−"

"I'm not done… I don't get it… He's so creepy, but you guys seem so on board with me pursuing him. You two barely know who this guy is, yet you keep bringing him up anyway, which just makes it harder for me to forget."

"You know−"

"What's up with the double standards? More than once, I've heard people in this house look down on Otakus, yet somehow, Chitose is completely taken by him after meeting him once, and even you have no qualms about him. Had this been last year, you probably would've gone on how he's bad for me, and that I could do better than a cockroach like him…"

"So what… Do you want me to insult him like how you're doing?" I shook my head.

"What then?"

"I want everyone who knows about it to just shut up and leave it alone so I can just grow out of liking him. Then I can go back to admiring those hunks from school instead of the 'Super High School Level Creeper' Otamega…"

"So do you really think that Katsuragi-kun is unworthy of anyone liking him?" And, for the life of me, I didn't have an answer to that. Just my hesitation was an answer on its own. Her face contorted into disgust.

"Honestly, I don't know what I expected, but that's low, even for you…" I knew this should be the point my defence mechanism kicks in, but I was too shocked to even think.

"I've always admired how you could have nice things to say about anything, regardless of how bad it was, but I've hated how much others could influence you… Something you loved one day would become your most hated thing, just because you cared too much what every damn person thought…"

I wasn't sure whether to defend myself, because I didn't even know I had been like that… like ever…

"Well, obviously, you've been in Tokyo too long, because I've never been li−"

"Yes, you have! When you were three, you nearly adopted a cockroach because it was shiny, and according you, 'invincible', because neither me nor Mama could squash it. You only started getting scared when we told you horror stories which may or may not have been true…"

"Obviously I'm not going to remember that!" I protested, my nerve returning back.

"Then why did you stop challenging Ayumi-chan to races?"

"Well, obviously I was going to lose!" I blinked, and I felt the small trickle of yet another tear. Man, I'm turning into such a crybaby.

"And that didn't stop you the first 300 times, did it!?" I wiped my eyes angrily.

"It's easy enough for you to say! You've always been awesome at anything you tried. When you're as completely average in every way, the only way you can get along is become more like everyone else!"

"That's enough," she lifted her hand, and I realised I had gone into a fighting pose like those Mortal Kombat games that used to be at the arcade, "obviously, we're just going to bump heads forever, so just answer this last question."

I silently agreed and stood like the normal person I am. The rain pattered against the balcony window.

"Is this complete disgust you have for Katsuragi-kun because of what you've heard, or are those actually your thoughts?"

The tapping of the rain disturbed my already messed up thought processes.

"I don't know," I replied after half a minute of painful noise. Her expression hardened.

"You're right then… Forget about your false feelings, because they're not worth anything…" she turned, and her hair swished as she left, in a cascade on jealousy-inducing waves, "and if you ask, it's not you out of his league… it's the opposite…"

The door slammed shut and the entirety of my existence shattered with the shaking in the room. My shaking legs finally gave way, and I fell to the ground.

Finally, someone pulled the wool from over my eyes, and I despised what was behind it.

I wasn't even crying now… I was past that point of defeat… Instead, I just turned on the TV, to give my brain something to do: something to drown out the increasingly loudening rain on the balcony.

No matter how loud the TV, the only thing I could hear the bloody loud rain. I pulled the balcony door open and stepped outside.

"SHUUUT THE $ #&amp;**&amp; UUUUUUPPPP!" My curse disappeared in the howling wind which whipped my skirt against my legs and thrashed my now soaked hair in whatever direction.

The rain was kind of nice, huh? Well, more like surprise storm, but I actually felt calmer being out here.

The road shone with the rain water, and reflected the streetlamps in little slivers. Light on a rough surface does get reflected erratically, after all, and it looked more like it was shimmering than shining.

'I wanna go there,' the voice in my head murmured.

But I'll fall off…

'I won't let you get hurt…'

I don't care… I'll take the stairs…

Still, despite my wishes, my hands clasped the metal railings.

No no… what am I doing?

Suddenly, Nee-san's tune entered my head. The soft tinkling piano notes calmed myself down, and my arms unclenched. I turned around, and Nee-san was in my room, her phone in her hand. I couldn't read the look on her face. I pulled myself out of my daze and walked into the room.

"Wha-what was that?"

"Something I shouldn't have left alone for so long…"

She wouldn't explain until I took a bath and changed into pyjamas. So I bathed in record time. What had been that voice I'd heard inside in my head? Why did it sound so familiar?

When I got back, Nee-san was sitting on the floor with a mug of hot chocolate in her hands. A tray with potato chips and another mug was next to the TV.

Seeing that my bed was still a mess, I climbed into the bed, ignoring the snacks.

"So… what do you know?" She sighed.

"This is a conversation you'll need to ease into… At least eat something," I scoffed. At a time like this? I'm not a stress eater at all.

"I'll pass… so why don't you begin…" she lifted her right hand and stared at her painted nails, like they'd give her the answer.

"Honestly, I don't know where to start…" she chipped one of her fingernails, "this is so out of the realm of the normal…" her voice trailed off. I don't… what could she be thinking about? What isn't normal?

"How so?" I tried to not appear too curious.

"Look!" he lifted a finger, before deflating again, "You see…" she tried again, but it seemed every time she made eye contact with me, her words faltered, "I know this is going to sound crazy, but please just believe me…"

So… it's going to be one of those conversations… I'm already sceptical…

"So will this be some far-fetched story?"

"No… Well, yeah… You'll need to keep an open mind about this all," somehow, curiosity beat my scepticism, so I urged her to continue.

"You see… The earth doesn't act independently… I'm sure you've heard of heaven and hell, right?"

Of course I have… Still, what does this have to do with anything? Those are just concepts.

"Heaven and hell are where people go after they die, right, just depending of how you acted on earth…"

"Yeah… what's what we've been told, but it reality, it's a bit different… I don't really know the details, but because of… stuff… some spiritual beings from Hell and Heaven are on earth, trying to make the whole system run smoothly."

"Where are you getting at with this?"

"What happened on the balcony… probably had something to do with Hell…"

What! What drugs is she on? I was going to tell her exactly what I thought; when I remembered I was supposed to keep an open mind. I took a breath.

"That sounds pretty unbelievable… but if somehow, it is true, and the world is insane, what would Hell be needing from earth?" I mean, humans are kind of puny… Or could it possibly that humans are stronger than them…

"Hell seems to have there own agenda, but in particular, there's these evil demons called Weiss, which prey on human's negative emotions to become stronger. As it seems, you're the next target…" I felt a chill at those words. While I had no idea what had happened outside, this was way worse than what I expected.

"So," I laughed nervously, "you're saying this… demon… wanted to throw me off the balcony…" I rubbed the goosebumps on my neck, suddenly feeling really cold. I pulled a sweater from inside my cupboard.

"No," she hastily shook her hands, "I doubt that was its intention, because it's still weak. Killing its host isn't really conducive, because it would be biting the hand which feeds it," it helped a bit, but absorbing her words was difficult.

So no killing… I wasn't really in immediate danger… It was just talking to me because I was the host…

"W-wait… What do you mean, host?"

"It's exactly as the word implies… As it is now, the Weiss is residing in your heart…" my head spun for a second, so I didn't catch the rest of her words. I quickly pulled my pyjama shirt forward so I could see if there was some physical sign of its existence… Nothing…

Come on… Nee-san has to be joking… A heart is just an organ that pumps blood... And there's flesh, meat and bones concealing it… Nothing can get in without leaving some kind of sign on the outside…

And your heart only controls bodily functions… What would even be the point of going in there?

"Are you on drugs, Nee-san?" was my only conclusion…

"This is why there's no point telling people… They don't believe it anyway."

"Okay…" I tried cleaning up the ever growing scepticism in my mind, "If it turns out you're right, and there is some… thing… in me, what can I do to get rid of it?"

"To tell you the truth, I have little experience with Weiss… I've never tried to remove one, so−"

"So basically, there was no point on telling me this crap anyway…"

And now I was just annoyed… why would she lie to me? Obviously, I was pretty depressed before… Not suicidal, but still… that voice was familiar, because it was me…

"Look, it isn't crap. It isn't possible for me to lie about it… While I don't have proof, per se, I do have good reason to believe there's a Weiss inside you…"

"And what's that? Santa and the Easter bunny told you!?"

"Because the weather has been so damn crappy!" And as she said that, a lone shot of lightning lit up the sky, "that's a new one though…"

"So what… it's Summer and rain… I'm sure you remember enough Geography to know they go together…"

"You're right, but Summer only just started… this much rain shouldn't be happening this early in the season…" she looked pleadingly at me, "Please stop being so angry and just try absorbing this."

"Absorb what?"

"That the Weiss is projecting your emotions in the sky… The reason it's been raining so much is because you've been feeding that Weiss your sadness, and it's getting stronger."

Sooo… When I'm sad, it starts raining… Hmmph, what crap! How can a being control the heavens from inside one stupid person?

"So this thing… is a rain God…" The scepticism was right back in my voice.

"I told you it's a Weiss. For some reason, it's making the sky into a giant mood ring for you."

"Sorry, no matter how many times you try convincing me, this is too far-fetched for words… It just sounds like lies…" I sighed, looking at the cloudy sky, which wasn't flashing anymore. It was pretty calm now.

"I can't tell a lie…" Nee-san sighed, "Still, I can't stop the truth from sounding strange either… In the end, you believe me or you don't…"

She stood up and let herself out…

"If you decide tomorrow to believe me, I'll finish this conversation then, because we aren't really getting anywhere now…" She closed the door behind her.

I went face first into the bed. I heard the door open.

"Yeah… don't mention this to anyone…"

"I had no intention to…" I spoke into my pillow. Doubt she got that, but whatever…

"Also, you don't have to worry about that Weiss… Hell has their own teams to deal with them… Just don't get too depressed…"

"Fine…" I lifted my arm half-heartedly to show that I heard her. I heard the door shut, hopefully for good… well, for today at least.

Though honestly, I wouldn't mind getting locked in here. I have a TV at least…

Oooh! TV!

I scrambled to my bedside and used the remote to turn it on.

Yet, despite my previous enthusiasm, everything was pretty boring, and my brain floated to my previous conversation.

Oh no no no no no no no… No, you don't, Brain! Even if Heaven and Hell does exist, it doesn't mean they're all interconnected.

Gaaah! This is so annoying! All that last conversation did was confuse the Hell out of me… well, maybe not, it Weiss really are things…

I wonder if you can research stuff like that in a library…

Still, this feels a little stupid… I don't believe this, so why do I still consider it a possibility?

Screw this… I'm calling Ayumi!

I looked outside, and the rain had started again… just great! I pulled the curtains shut.

Though only once the bell started going through did I actually realise there wasn't anything I wanted to talk to with her. I just wanted out of my head.

"Hey," she picked up her phone.

"Hi… Just wanted to see what's interesting on your side…"

"Honestly, nothing really… Though Izumi broke…" some random static buzzed out the rest of her sentence. Oh, usually breaking stuff is pretty dramatic.

"What did she break, again?" I asked once the static stopped.

"Oh, her previous time record… By four seconds, which was pretty awesome…"

"Oh…" I hoped my disappointment didn't show in my voice, "so what have you been doing?"

"Well, our practice ended before the rain started, so I'm happy about that…" Grr, don't mention that… Now I'm going to be thinking about _that_… "In any case, my time has been improving more steadily now, so I'll be ready for this meet."

This meet, huh? This seems familiar. Have we discussed her running meets before?

Actually, that's a no brainer… Considering how long we've been friends and the fact that Ayumi adores running, this isn't de ja vu at all.

"Man, we sure do discuss running a lot, considering I can't run for jack…" She laughed.

"I guess we do… Still, the last time we chatted about this on the phone was last month before the meet…"

"Aah, I remember that… You sprained your leg then, right?"

"Err… Not exactly…" I could hear fidgeting on the other side, "anyways, how did cleaning go today?"

"Alright… it was as boring as usual," I hit my head against the wall, "though I bet you didn't need the practice time as all, you meddler…"

"I-I definitely needed that time… in any case, if you and Katsuragi made up, that's great for you as well…"

"You better be making this up to me to me later…" She laughed at my tone.

"Alright… so did you make up?"

"Like I said, you're such a meddler…"

"Wha-what are you talking about? I really was at practice."

"Well, it doesn't particularly matter…" I grabbed the remote for the TV, hoping that in the fifteen minutes it's been on sleep, something half decent had come on.

Meh… meh… meh- I lie! It's Kanon!

"Oh, Kanon-chan's on TV right now!"

"Huh?" she sounded confused at why my tone changed.

"On Channel 7! Hurry!"

"Sorry, I'm not by a TV right now…"

"Oh… I see…" as I was watching, I noticed it was the last verse of YES-TODAY… "Aww, it's over…"

A slight silence fell on the conversation.

"Bye, Chihiro. I have practice early tomorrow…"

"For the meet that's coming up?"

"That's the one…"

"Bye…" I cut the call.

And somehow, I felt a bit relieved… Considering how messed up some of my friendships are, I love how stable things are with Ayumi.

I glanced at the time on my phone. Seeing it was nearly ten, I was ready to call it a night. I barely did anything all day, yet I'm still exhausted. What's up with that?

Still, I didn't sleep… I just surfed through the channels, but nothing was worth watching. I gave up some channels later and just let the news play.

So… it's raining tomorrow as well… What's new?

"It's always raining…"

What'll I do if it's my fault?


	31. Eh, too lazy

**And somehow, I feel like I've really lost the plot.**

**To all my readers who were expecting something more closer to canon, I apologize. I just got so into doing stuff my way that I may have gone too far, especially by introducing the Heaven and Hell. Still, I chose how I wanted to do it, and I'll see it through. Thank God for the reset button at the end of the arc...**

**So yes, onto Chapter 31.**

* * *

"You should check this out, Ayumi," I held an earpiece to her, "it's that song Kanon-chan was singing yesterday," she pulled a chair over and put the earphone in. Almost immediately, she got into the tune. That's the power of Kanon, after all…

"'_I love you' is an easy enough phrase, but I can't say it to you. Give me that courage, God… Please…_" I started singing quietly, bet when Ayumi noticed, she joined… loudly…

"_I'll love you forever, YES-TODAY! I'll surely kiss you, YES-TODAY!_" She pulled the headphones out so she could hear it better, but that only made me want to cower under the desk. I mean, even though it's lunch and the class is half empty, we really shouldn't be disturbing anyone…

"Come, Chihiro!" She noticed I stopped singing, but no amount of coaxing helped. Still, Ayumi continued singing loudly, and the class prez decided to join her. In the end, most of the people who were in the class had joined. In fact, they ended up running through the song once more, and I just sat at my desk and covered my face, embarrassed at the flash mob I'd inadvertently caused.

Still, I looked in between my fingers, it does look interesting.

"Aah, that was fun!" Ayumi plopped into her seat five minutes later once the singing was done, "It's too bad you didn't sing along…" She handed the phone back.

"Sorry… I don't have the guts to sing that loud…" I shrugged and put the phone away, "in any case, wouldn't you have been embarrassed if no one sang along?"

"I don't think so… I just think singing out loud is more fun than in your head… In any case, they joined anyway, so I think most people feel like that…" I smiled… Ayumi really is brave. I don't ever imagine her being in the same situation as the words she was singing before. Heck, she'd probably go straight to the guy and confess with her head held high. That's the kind of person Ayumi is anyway.

"Say, Ayumi…" she looked up over juice, "do you have someone you like?" Her eyes bugged out and her juice went flying all over the desk. She coughed, so I hit her on the back till she back to normal.

"Wha-why would you ask that?" she took a tissue and started wiping her desk, but to me, I could see she was using her hair to hide her face.

"I was just thinking about the song… Though I take it from your reaction, that's a yes…"

"It's actually a no… you just surprised me," but she didn't look at me. Clearly, a sure fire sign that she was speaking the truth…

"Well, I don't really mind if you don't tell me," I leaned back on my seat, "I was just thinking that if you have the guts to sing to half a class, you probably have the guts to confess as well…"

"It's not as easy as that," she sighed, "somehow, putting yourself in that vulnerable position is way worse than running two miles or singing in front of people…"

I nodded… I guess everyone is like that after all… even someone as awesome as Ayumi…

"Though what about you? Is your love life going any better than the rest of us lost souls?" Somehow, I'd been preparing for this in my head, so I had an answer.

"Not really… Yuuta-kun doesn't know I exist, and even finding a birthday gift is a total pain…" she patted my shoulder.

"Just go a little harder at it, Chihiro… You're pretty amazing, but now you just have to make him know that."

"Thanks Ayumi," I was grateful, even though I didn't believe a single word of that.

"Anyway, aren't you going to eat?" I shrugged.

"Nah! I'm not really hungry…" but that was a lie… I was just way too unmotivated to leave my seat today.

"Ayumi, someone wants to talk to you," the class prez called from the door… Pretty standard, considering it's Ayumi. The first years in her running club adore her.

So I ended up putting my headphones back in and opening the new Girls Walker. Not much on the presents front in there, but the adverts for Ichiose looked awesome. In fact, because it's opening tomorrow, it's cheap…er. Chinese food isn't really cheap, so…

"Who sung that?" I heard a voice next to me… "what you're singing…" Miyako had finally gotten her lunch. I just felt embarrassed for being caught again.

"Err… It's Kanon-chan,"

"Alright. Let's keep it that way…" my food induced smile faded. I guess I really am quite tone deaf.

"Sorry," I mumbled, taking off the headphones and turning the mp3 player off, "I didn't realise I was that loud."

Suddenly, Miyako jerked forward, and Ayumi appeared next to her with her hand raised. She must have slapped her upside the head.

"That's mean, Miyako…" Miyako smiled sheepishly, "sorry about that… I always wanted to try that line out… You weren't that bad…"

Miyako and Ayumi started talking about their running meet, so I was just left alone again, slightly more disturbed than I was before. Even if Miyako hadn't meant it, the appeal for music completely went away. In fact, a gloom was starting to settle in.

I put my head down on the desk and looked at the window, where it had started drizzling.

Somehow, Nee-san's words from yesterday came back to mind, but I shook them off. There's no way my mood could be causing that... Yesterday, the weather report did say it would rain, so it's just that.

Besides, even if it was someone's mood which controlled the sky, I'm pretty sure it would be someone more interesting than me…

Unlike Kanon-chan, the weak me isn't in yesterday, and I have absolutely no clue how to deal with her today.

After school, I waiting for Ellie by the computer labs as promised. Just fifteen minutes ago, she asked me to meet her here, but she had run off ahead of me, so I guess I really will have to wait here.

It's really silent here, so I can hear the ticking clock. It's definitely annoying.

I dug my hands into my pocket and pulled out the pink envelope which I'd hastily shoved into my pocket this morning. After I got ready for school today, Chitose handed it over, saying he'd saved it from the trash last week. Of course, he also ran away before I could hit him.

On the crumpled envelope was four simple kanji.

Keima Katsuragi, huh? I never really expected seeing this letter again. Honestly, I really didn't want to see this letter again. Still, I heard the door open, so I quickly shoved the letter back into my pocket.

Still, it wasn't just Ellie who was here… but Katsuragi too? What's this about?

"Shall we begin then," he started completely normally, as if he was the teacher and it was class time. Ellie cheered, nearly dropping her rolled up posters.

"What the hell is this?"

"We'll be starting your romantic training today…" my eyes narrowed, "which means, I'll be supporting your hopeless romance…" Wait, is this about Yuuta-kun?

"Please pay your respects," he held up a hand, "for I am your God of Conquest…" and somehow, I swear he was gleaming like a gold statue for a second. What, does he still have 8th grade syndrome? Maybe because I haven't heard him all day, but this just reminded me how creepy he actually is.

"Idiot… That's a good one… Who would ask for Otamega's help?" Well, technically, I was that guy… I never expected he'd take me seriously at all.

"Hmph… That is a real women's shallowness… You'll thank me later," and he shoved his glasses up again. My God, if they're so loose, just get a new pair… "Elsie…"

Ellie quickly got up and put one of the posters on the board before nearly getting hit by Otamega's stick… He really is a jerk… and a Chuunibyu jerk as well…

"The target this time is a special character that even I can't obtain with my special attributes, because I'm a guy, but, if we use the variable success route on any character, we'll manage somehow…"

All I could do was roll my eyes… who did this guy even think he was. Even with his jargon, he just sounds like an idiot. I really should just go home… Still, he was in his own world where the intricacies of meetings, building relationships and confessing were actually important, but he was just making a fool of himself for being so serious about it.

"In three days, I will reach a successful confession event!" but I was already at the door.

"This is stupid… I'm going home…" I opened the door, but the sudden appearance of Otamega's face in my peripherals surprised me. How did he get this close so fast without me even hearing anything?

He handed me a Styrofoam glass and started pouring something warm inside it. I was too confused to do anything, and somehow, it worked to his advantage, because he shoved me.

"Ow ow ow…" I grumbled, rubbing my head, which had hit something on the way down.

"Wha-what are you doing!?" I heard screaming behind me, so I turned around stiffly. Yuuta-kun was drenched in the tea, and the cup just rolled around, empty.

"Yuuta-kun!?" I groaned, face palming. What the hell kind of first meeting is this? He screamed as the heat from the tea finally reached his brain. I really couldn't do anything for him, except scream at the idiot who was actually responsible.

"What are you doing!?" I was hysterical, but Otamega just pushed up his glasses again, as cool as watermelon bobbing in a river. Gaaah! I just want to rip them off and break them.

"Let me explain… If we were to make this romance into a hypothetical flower, the bigger the meeting event is, the thicker the trunk will be," he started pointing at the new poster on the board, with one hell of a wonky flower on it. I guess flowers in Otaku land look like that, because this guy is freaking delusional!

So I tore off the sheet! This guy freaking ruined any chance I had with Yuuta-kun by making me drop hot tea on his head!

"How is this going to get me closer to him!?"

"Negative impressions can become positive over time!" he replied, as aggressively as I'd been, "we need to make Yuuta-kun aware of your existence!" It calmed me down enough to just think.

Otamega… he has a plan, right? I really don't get it, but if he's serious, maybe I should learn something.

But… why would he want to help me? All I've done so far is be rude to him… I watched him for a few seconds, but he didn't leave in a fit of anger, so I didn't either. I just went back to my seat…

"Fine… what was that?"

"As I said before, a stronger starting event dictates the pace of this conquest. Even if he may dislike you right now, how you handle the next event will show your worth as a gamer… Just by hitting the fight flags, his love points will skyrocket, and your confession will be successful."

It took my brain a few minutes to interpret through the gaming lingo and Otamega-ness of that reply, but I somehow got it… I think…

"So… that kind of meeting is alright…"

"Yes. He won't forget you now, and that's all we need…"

"But… I don't know… was the tea really necessary? Couldn't I just bump into him and had one of those moments where my hair gets stuck on his button, and we're forced to be close till I can get it out? That seems way more memorable and romantic…" he scoffed.

"Someone likes their shoujo manga," he remarked. I felt my face heat up, "that just isn't realistic… For one, your hair is too short to get stuck… for another, you bumped into his back… there'd be no buttons there… for another, the sch-"

"Alright, I get it!" I stopped his tirade, "so it's unrealistic… Still, a random girl flying with hot tea isn't realistic either… And what If I'd hit someone else?"

"There's no point about dwelling about that… We've made the first event a success, so we need to decide what's the best way to follow up on this…"

"How about I apologize than blame you… then you can deal with him…" yeah… needless to say, I am still kind of bitter…

"Noooo!" he glared, "try and say something that makes sense…"

"I apologize than offer to buy him lunch to make up for that?" He looked like he was about to protest, but my words sunk in.

"Better, but it might be a bit too forward… If you can make it sound like you're not inviting him on a date, than it'll work."

"You're making no sense… Don't I want him to think of me in a romantic way?"

"Well, yeah… You just can't be so direct about it, because any situation where the girl is too forward is a poison flag. Besides, the variable success route doesn't require romantic events… Just normal friendship events will do. The love factor will appear on its own."

"So I mustn't confess, but rather wait for him?" Otamega was just making my head spin, so I looked at Ellie, who was sitting on a desk, watching us…

"I didn't say that!" I jumped when his palms landed in the desk. I guess he could tell my interest was fading.

"Alright… fine… tell me the next event so I can go home…" I really didn't feel like staying here longer.

Instead of answering, he dropped a stack of sheets in front of me, which were probably at the same level as my nose.

"What's this?"

"A list of potential story developments as you attempt to conquer Yuuta-kun, as well as their corresponding conversational patterns," he replied without batting an eyelid. I could only feel bad for the poor forest which gave up its life for this stack of… lines… That's basically a conversation, right?

"Memorise them all by tomorrow."

"What!" the chair scraped as I stood up, "It's impossible to memorise all of this!" Heck, even memorising one scenario is overkill…

"Do it! It's the quickest route to a confession…" he was dead serious though, but I couldn't even think of where I'd start with this. I picked up the first page.

**[C]: I-I'm re-really sorry about the tea… The truth is that I was on the way to Baking Club, and I tripped [silly me gesture]. Though I'll make it up to you… Is there any baked goods you like?**

**[Y]: reply [reply is a food… It reply isn't a food, go to page 3] **

**[C]: Aah… [reply] is my favourite as well. It goes really well with green tea.**

The more I read of this, the higher my eyebrow rose. By the end of the page, they were basically off my face.

"Otamega, what's this?" he lifted his head off the desk, surprised.

"I told you… It's a scenario you can use as a base for your capture of Yuuta-kun."

"It's just… really duh… How can this help me? And what is this 'silly me gesture' you mentioned here?" I held up the sheet.

"You know… it's one of those cute knock to the heads that you do with a silly smile on your face when you make a mistake. It's supposed to be really endearing… in games, anyway."

"So how do you do it, exactly?" Somehow, even though the description made sense, I just didn't get how it could look cute, "can you do it?"

He scrunched his nose, and his face turned a light pink.

"I-it's kind of like this:" a goofy looking smile graced his face, and he knocked his knuckles on his head with a little "tee hee".

Gah! That was cute. I laughed, and his face turned even pinker.

"Don't laugh. You're the one who asked…"

"I guess I did, huh?" I turned back to the papers, definitely embarrassed. My heart shouldn't be beating that fast just because of that smile, right? I took a few breaths to calm myself.

"What about this?" Katsuragi jerked up again. Only then did I notice how droopy his eyes looked. The usual alertness and that feeling that he was trying to stare into my soul weren't there at all.

"Are you sure you shouldn't go home… or to the nurse's office?" Ellie, who had been playing with something on the side of the room walked over to the desk he was at.

"Nii-sama?" he sat up, though it seemed to use more energy than it should have.

"Elsie…" his voice was strangely hoarse, "can you get me the tea? It should have enough caffeine to last me till I get home…"

Ellie picked up the thermos before noticing that it hadn't been closed before so it wasn't hot. So she went to go reheat it in the baking classroom.

The silence was noticeable when the door shut and it was only the two of us.

"Kosaka… you were asking?" I looked away from the door.

"Aah… Umm… yeah," I skimmed through the page, "do I really need to act this girl−" the words died when I noticed that he wasn't listening. In fact, he'd gone to sleep. I wonder if that says something about how interesting my company is…

Well, I doubt it… He was really tired…

I stood up and glanced through the few sheets at the top and they specifically had the C and Y written in. I guess he actually did go through the effort of typing this out… and for my sake as well… Considering what happened yesterday, I didn't deserve that kindness at all. I sighed and got out of my seat.

Five minutes later, I came back with a blanket from the nurse's office… I figured out that was the least I could do, and I stopped off at the printer room to pick up those paper bags. Ellie still wasn't back, so I threw the blanket over him.

Aww, he looks quite peaceful like this. Now that he's asleep, he isn't really pulling any creepy faces, so I can't why I'm supposed to dislike him…

Is that why I dislike him… because I'm expected to?

I could feel my heart beating in my ears loudly.

As I am now, I honestly can't find a single reason to dislike him.

Dhoom dhoom dhoom

Maybe this is like the whole cockroach story again… He sits in class, and he's either ignored or whacked with a heavy book, just like a cockroach.

Even to me, no matter how many times I've tried to stomp out my feelings for him, or just ignore him altogether, he sits there, like an invincible, but totally annoying cockroach, just laughing in my face.

It's frustrating, but I have to stop pretending that I don't like him, because that would just be the biggest lie I could ever tell.

It's the biggest lie that anyone in the world could tell.

Because I really do love him…

…

…

…

It's weird… Somehow, I imagined that when I discovered that, I'd be a freaking wreck, but somehow, I actually feel calm, minus the horribly loud drums inside my head. I wonder if it's because I'm watching him…

Like a creepy stalker… Yeelgh!

I took a step back to try and get some kind of control back into my brain, and it worked. I actually felt kind of ashamed, so I did something totally Chihiro-like.

That's right… I gave him a permanent marker moustache, but my hands just trembled and my eyes kept deviating a little lower, despite how much I tried to focus on the task.

Seriously, this guy needs to wear some more chapstick!

With a little bit of reluctance, I stepped away to admire the twirly, if not slightly wonky moustache I'd given him. I can't really say it suits him, but it still reminded me that I was myself…

I am myself…

And Katsuragi despises me…

"Aah, Chihiro-san," Ellie opened the door, and my head shot up, "Are you crying?"

Am I? I rubbed at an eye, and the back of my hand was definitely wet.

"Y-yeah, sorry… I just remembered something sad… I'm fine though…" Obviously, that was as effective as if I'd completely broken down and explained my life story to her.

Seeing her brother was asleep, and the tea wasn't necessary anymore, she put it down and gave me a hug.

My God, have I needed that hug… It's been pretty cold, because of the rain, and even sweaters and stuffed bunnies don't really have the same warmth or comfort that another human has…

Ellie was actually very warm.

After that, I let myself out with my two bags of papers. I still wasn't better, so the rain continued… I actually saw Ayumi and Miyako practicing in this horrible weather. They didn't even bat an eyelid at the heavy rain, and Ayumi seemed to be going even faster than I remember. Miyako even caught my eye, so she waved. Still, I could only lift my hand. Even if I wanted to go help them, they weren't two floors down. They were several worlds away, along with people like Katsuragi and Ellie… People who sparkled… people who weren't me…

Somehow, if Nee-san was right, and I was causing the rain, I figured it out… The rain just locked me away from everyone.

"Chitose, you can go now!" I called as I came back to my room after my bath. Still, I wasn't really paying attention, because I ricocheted off something outside my door.

"What do you want, Nee-san?" I entered once the moves out of the way.

"It's been raining all day, so I wanted to see what's up with you?"

By that point, I was already sick of this conversation. It was bad enough that I was pitying myself, but I didn't want anyone else pitying me.

"I was fine all day… It's just rainy coz it's summer, and a cold front is passing through here…"

"Yeah… I'm sure… Cold fronts in Chihiro-land also last one week, unlike the usual one day everywhere else," I shrugged and fell onto the bed.

"So I'm a little bored… what's wrong with that? It's better than being delusional…"

"If you're bored, do something…" I groaned. She said it so simply, but trying to get yourself out of a rut isn't that simple.

"Do what, exactly?" I sat up so she could see the hard glare on my face.

"I dunno… homework… baking… reading… don't you have a hobby or something?" I shrugged… It's been a long time since I actually did something as a hobby…

"You could call Katsuragi-kun… I bet that'd make you happy," the look on my face just said it all.

"Hahaha, you're funny… None of those stuff sound any better than just faceplanting in bed, so you'll have to do better than that…"

"Though have you thought anymore about what I told you yesterday?"

"Not really… just the chance of supernatural stuff existing is slim to none, but to say I can control the weather is sheer madness. Unless you have some kind of proof…"

I wasn't sure if she was considering my words or not, but either way, she left.

I dunno… it's always more noticeable when someone leaves…

I hated how quiet it was, so I grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. Just a few seconds of channel flipping basically affirmed that there'd be nothing good on today either, so the remote fell from my hand anyway.

Eh… nap time!

Not that that worked long… My brain was still whirring, and those papers were still behind me. I just ignored them anyway.

Gyuu-kun really is cuddly though…

I wonder if my room has always been this childish… I'd be pretty embarrassed if a boy came here…

The door opened again, but I ignored it. I couldn't really see who it was anyway, because my eyes were closed. Hopefully, they'd just go away if I pretended I was asleep.

"You know I can tell that you're still awake," a too familiar voice broke the silence.

"What do you want?" I gave Gyuu-kun a tighter hug.

"You wanted proof, right?" that was enough for me to get up. All she had was a pair of scissors, identical to the one she'd given me on Sunday.

"Ooh… scissors… I'm going back to sleep."

"No, wait!"

"Fiiine… What about these scissors are so fantastic… Can they cut metal or something?"

She pulled out a sheet of paper from the bag at my desk and cut one of the corners. I watched as the corner floated to the ground, but she held the sheet up, and absolutely nothing had changed. The corner was still intact.

"What's that? Some kind of magic trick?"

"No. The scissors have a power of their own… They can only cut through magical objects, or otherwise, they just returns back to the way it was before."

I looked at the floor, but the piece of paper wasn't in sight.

"You're kidding right?"

"Nope, you can check it out yourself, if you don't believe me."

With a new burst of energy, I sat up and cut the page in half over and over again. Despite me paying attention, I still couldn't see what happened to the paper on the floor.

"How did you do that!?" for the first time in quite a few days, I could actually feel myself getting excited.

"Magic," she waved her hand mysteriously over the scissors. I don't know if it was the word, but I could feel my guard coming up again.

"Even if magic exists, you can't say that I'm causing the rain…"

"I can…" she pointed outside, and despite it being night, the sky was showing the last of the rain, and the street lights were causing a light rainbow. She opened my balcony and left the scissors in the drizzle, yet somehow, the scissor didn't get wet at all, "you can't really see it, but the rain stops about a millimetre away from it before vanishing. This rain is definitely of magic cause…"

I stepped out to fetch it, and she was right. I could feel the drizzle on me, but the scissors were completely dry.

"That's just creepy," I handed them to her. It wasn't like the plastic it was made of was particularly special looking, yet somehow, it could do some amazingly mundane tasks, like not cut paper and repel water.

"So do you believe me… that there are stuff on earth which can't be explained by science…" she looked so hopeful, which pained me to tell her.

"A scissors which doesn't cut paper properly and repels water… sounds like my scissors from elementary school…" she didn't appreciate that at all, as I expected.

She screamed and stabbed the scissors at me.

Somehow, at that split second, it slowed down, and I fell back enough to avoid it.

"ARE YOU CRAZY!?" I screamed. Nee-san's eyes went completely wide. She pointed at me.

"Tha-then explain… How did you get there?" I looked down myself, and noticed I was pressed down on the floor.

"Ow!" My head thumped on the underside of the bed, "what the…"

I stopped being thin enough to fit under this bed years ago…

"Gaah!" I could feel the suffocation starting to settle in, "h-help me, will you?"

Ten minutes later, I faceplanted onto the bed for the… what… tenth time this week.

"Somehow… The evidence is stacking against me… There is something super weird going on…"

"Freakin' finally…" Nee-san muttered, "humans take forever to absorb this…"

"Which reminds me…" I was still trying to catch my breath, "how do you know about all this stuff? And how do you even have those weird scissors?"

Her face contorted in discomfort.

"Well, I can't lie, but I don't really want to get you involved, so you're better off not knowing…"

"Wow, informative…" and just like her…

"I'm not involved in this stuff anymore, but this rain is horrible, and I'm going to do whatever I can to stop it, which is why I told you…"

Ah yes… Nee-san hates the rain.

"Well, now I've accepted that I've basically turned into a huge ass mood ring, how can I stop this?"

"Simple… once you become happy, it'll leave and the rain will stop."

And, one again, I was irritated at how easy she made it sound. Don't you think I'd be happy if I was happy? I can barely organise my thoughts, let alone how I feel…

"Easy for you to say… You're a stable person with no noticeable faults… Do you even understand what I'm going through?" Yep, totally used one of those angsty, misunderstood teenager lines… She completely ignored my words, because I could see flowers coming out of her head as she smiled.

"Which reminds me… you don't actually need to worry… Hell will send out someone to apprehend the Weiss, so you just have to wait for them."

"What the hell kind of solution is that?" It's like I'm hoarding a prisoner here.

"Yeah, that was silly of me…" she doinked her head, "You didn't have to know," I just face-palmed. My brain is already in a bad enough place without adding something new to worry about… The freaking escaped prisoner inside my heart!

Though how long could it have been there? Maybe it's that thing's fault that I like Katsuragi…

Wait, Nee-san's still talking… Oh well.

"Though since when has this Weiss been around?" I interrupted her.

"Oh… I can't be certain, but probably since Tuesday last week… did something happen then?"

Yeah… that was the day I fought with Mappy-chan.

"Well, I kind of got into a fight with one of my friends that day…"I looked at Gyuu-kun, who was on my lap again, "though we haven't made up yet…"

"That must be it then!" I jumped, "That was simpler than I expected… You might not even need help from Hell…"

"Who are these… people? The one from hell who are supposed to capture the Weiss?"

"Dunno…" her head tilted to the side in a painful looking way, "Heaven and Hell work independently, so I only know that they exist, but I've never met them."

"So you're involved from heaven's side?" I inferred. Her eyes darkened.

"Rather don't think about it… I'm not involved now, anyways…" So she was involved before… I was smart enough not to say that out loud.

She stood up and stretched.

"Look, there isn't much point in telling you everything, but I want you to try dealing with the Weiss yourself…" she took a last sip from the mug that I'd barely noticed, "it keeps trying to possess you, which is worrying me," she looked at the magical scissors before placing them on my bedside.

"Also, as a precaution, put these under your pillow… In your dreams, if you ever see it, it'll be enough to chase it away and stop it from getting close to you… yeah…" she looked awkwardly at me, "Just do your best."

She ended with a pat on my back.

"By the way… you should actually eat those…" she pointed at the chips and hot (or rather, warm) chocolate, "It's pretty obvious that you're depressed, considering you haven't mentioned food in ages, and mum took your untouched snacks this morning… Even if the rain wasn't an indication…"

Somehow, I wasn't sure what to make of this all. I wasn't totally on board with this whole magic thing, but it just made more sense as an explanation.

Though Katsuragi… I liked him way before that Weiss appeared, so that is still a mystery… I took a peek at the snacks, but I'm sure it's alright if I leave them for later… it's already cold, so it doesn't matter.

Man, those papers… Why did I agree to accept his help, when I'm only 20% interested in Yuuta-kun? It's so much trouble, and it's just degrading to me to force my personality to be anything but me. Clumsy… cute… Fat chance that I can act like that…

Suddenly, Katsuragi's face appeared in my mind, with that ridiculous moustache I'd drawn before… I wonder how he reacted when he saw that…

Probably, I'd get it tomorrow… _"you idiot!"_ or something like that…

I picked up my phone and started searching through my contacts for something. I'm pretty sure dwelling in this Katsuragi situation would be the opposite of healthy, considering the 0.00000001% chance I had with him.

Ah, Miyako! I dialled it.

"Miyako," I confirmed. I'm pretty sure this is the first time I'm calling her. In any case, I shouldn't annoy Ayumi anymore

"Chihiro?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's up. Is anything interesting happening on your side?" She laughed.

"Ah, I guess home must be the same as usual… Though I do actually have some interesting stuff to share…"

"…"

"…"

"C'mon, spill already. What happened at school?" I didn't really have the energy to pull myself up, but I was definitely interested.

"Someone dropped a love letter at school today. And you'll never guess who it was addressed to…"

"Who?" but somehow, I could feel my stomach sinking. Why was that?

"Katsuragi… from our class," oh… that's why…

"…"

"Chihiro, are you alright?"

"Ye-yeah," I strangled out. Using whatever energy I had in me, I went to the hanger which my school uniform was hanging. I dug my hand into the pockets.

Oh shit…

"Th-though where did you find it?" I could feel my head spinning.

"It was on the stairs on the first floor, so someone must have dropped it… I got lucky though… what's the chances I'd find a letter addressed to someone I actually know?"

"You don't say…" I had to stop myself from laughing hysterically, "so what will you do with it?"

"Well, considering I know who it's addressed to, I'll give it to Katsuragi tomorrow… Still, I wonder who wrote it?"

"Ya-you didn't check it, right?"

"No. I don't really want to invade in someone else's privacy… I'm kind of surprised though…"

"At what… that someone might actually like Otamega?"

"Not that… I'm surprised you only made that comment now… You're the leader of the 'I hate Otamega' fan club, so I expected you'd be way more surprised…"

Please… right now, I'm on the 'I hate how insightful Miyako is' fan club. At least she didn't read it…

"A- aah, I guess that is true… I was just too shocked to say anything," she laughed, "well, it isn't our business, so maybe we shouldn't get involved… If they actually do like Otamega, they should confess in person."

I was going to suggest burning said letter, but I think I'd gone too far before.

"You really think so? That it's spineless to use love letters instead of words…"

"Spineless isn't what I was going for, but it really doesn't concern us… we should just leave it at the school 'lost and found' box…"

"But−"

The phone cut at that point. I was out of credit.

I closed my phone and chucked it against the carpet.

Considering the hysteria in my brain at this new development, I should be rolling like a ball, but the lack of energy wouldn't really allow that.

Come to think of it, when did I last eat? It was at lunch… yesterday?

Gah! No wonder my brain and body is so weird today! Where's my precious food?

Despite my momentary enthusiasm, the warm chocolate and chips didn't do much for me… I've been so lazy all day, so I still feel as unmotivated as I've been before.

I swear… if I had an email address for right now, it'd be Chihiro-san ganbaranai.

So I just forced down the food and went to sleep. Screw homework and magic tricks and all this other stupid shit in the world… I'm just to bored to do any of it…

Eh…

* * *

**Weirdly enough, I actually like making the entirety of Chihiro's arc in a completely different context. For what content that was actually in the anime, such as Chihiro calling Miyako and the details of Chihiro's room, I have included it, but just put it upside down on its head.**

**That being said, if this isn't to your taste, it's only going to get more contrived and confusing in the next couple of chapters, so you're better off just giving up now.**

**I look forward to next chapter... With Chihiro's letter now on ransom, and still no explanation as to why Chihiro's sister knows about the Loose Spirits, as well as some other hinted plots from previous chapters, it'll definitely be fun writing that.**


	32. And so, it got even messier

_I was back in that empty room with the motorcycle, but for some reason, it had a side car attached to it. Well, not that surprising, considering chibi-me was hiding in there. Even if she was small, she was a sucky hider. I could see the tip of her blue hat._

"_You know I can see you, right?" she glanced up, but seeing that I was looking at her direction, she gave up the act._

"_You caught me," she replied, in a sing-songish tone. She made herself comfortable in her seat._

"_Who are you, anyway," I had to ask. Somehow, since that conversation yesterday, I just suspected something else other than my subconscious._

"_My name's Umiko… I know I've been around all week, and haven't really introduced myself, so sorry about that…"_

"_So…you're that Weiss thing that Nee-san was telling me about…" my heart sunk. She'd basically confirmed my suspicions from before…_

"_Well… technically… You chose my appearance, but I'm still the one who's talking here… I really do have to thank you though… I've gotten way more powerful since I first got here," she stretched, "still, it's been pretty lonely in here…"_

_Wow… who does this Weiss think she is… a boarder?_

"_I guess it must get lonely… being stuck in here…" I said casually. Even if this is a dream, I may as well learn more about this Weiss thing…_

"_Nah, I enjoy that kind of stuff… Loneliness is awesome!"_

"_In what world!?" I could feel my teeth grinding._

"_In Hell… we revel in what you guys call 'negative emotions'… Heck, you could even say that 'negative emotions' is what fuel us."_

"_Is that so?" I wasn't sure what else to say… Hell just sounds topsy turvy… Like it's eternally opposite day..._

"_Yeah… In fact, I really ha-like you… because you're such a negative person…"_

"_You were going to say hate, weren't you?" the girl shrugged, scratching her shark hat. _

"_Well, I have to swap some words around so you can understand me… You humans are really backwards…"_

_I don't want to hear that from you!_

"_You're pretty annoying," I mumbled._

"_That's what I go for," she beamed, brighter than the sun, as if I'd complimented her._

_Well, according to her, I probably did…_

"_So how do I get rid of you, exactly?" Her smile fell._

"_Why would you want to get rid of me?" her bottom lip pouted out, "I might be the best thing to ever happen in your life."_

"_You're just a bother! Why would I want to have you inside my heart?"_

_She rolled her eyes._

"_For one, I entered on your invitation… You hated how boring and normal you were, so I resolved that."_

"_You resolved nothing!" my balled up fists were shaking, "nothing's good has happened in my life since you came…"_

"_But your life is interesting now, isn't it?" I lifted my fists and started stalking towards her, "but I don't even get what the harm of me staying here is…"_

"_It's your fault I can't be happy!" I was about to strike when she caught my hand with a strength a little girl shouldn't have. Not that she was even a girl._

"_But you have the powers to control the rain… Doesn't that sound nice?" I stopped struggling, "but if that isn't enough, I can do something for you."_

"_What!?" I barked._

"_I can grant a wish of yours… I nearly have enough power to do that…"_

* * *

A huge ringing sound echoed all over the place and my eyes snapped open. Damn alarm!

After getting out of bed, I looked out of the window, which was… you guessed it, still rainy.

Man, I can't believe this weather is my fault…

I spent most of the trip to school thinking about that dream. I didn't want to trust that Weiss, but I had no clue how to expel it… There are tons of other things more horrible than the rain, and that's the only physical sign of its existence. Maybe, we could come to some agreement to stop the rain, then I'd just live with it forever.

I dunno… at least I'd never be lonely… or truly happy…

Ugh…

"You're the tea girl," I heard as my locker door shut. I turned stiffly to my left.

"Yu-Yuuta-kun!?"

"Hi again…" he smiled. I walked over to him.

"I… er… I know I didn't apologize yesterday, but I'm sorry I dropped that tea on you," my head bowed.

"Aah, don't sweat it," his voice sounded nervous, "someone pushed you, so it wasn't your fault…"

A lull fell over the conversation.

"So… umm… is your head alright?" he patted the front of his hair.

"Yeah, it's not even tender anymore…"

"That's a relief…" another lull…

"Anyway, I'll be going to class now… Later, Tea Girl…" He waved slightly and walked off.

"I-I'm Chihiro Kosaka, by the way," I called behind him. He stopped and turned around.

"Alright… I'll see you some other time, Kosaka-san…" his hair flopped as he walked off.

I was frozen. While this wasn't a confession or anything like that, this is the first time any guy has talked to me without prompting… Well, except Otamega…

I shook off the thought and walked to class, trying not to appear too eager that I had an excuse to talk with Katsuragi. Both Ellie and Otamega were in class. Ellie greeted me.

"Otamega!" he didn't look up from his game, "it worked… Yuuta-kun talked with me! You're pretty good!"

"Naturally…" he said with an unchanging face, "So, did you read the report?"

Report? Oh, that one… Whoops, I didn't even touch it, other than when I was cutting it with those weird scissors…

"Uh…" I tried to make an excuse, "I was pretty busy…" That's good enough.

"Just as I expected," for a second, I was offended that he expected me to be lazy, but it's alright… It is the truth, anyway, and he won't expect anything from me…

"It can't be helped…" his eyes snapped up from his screen, "I'll provide you with support today."

I didn't really hear what he said after that, because I was too busy trying to calm down my heart. That surprised me!

After a quick chat about God knows what, I went to my desk, trying to make sense of what he'd been saying before about treating Yuuta-kun to lunch.

"Chihiro," I jumped. Miyako was leaning over her table, "what were you talking about with Katsuragi?"

"Na-nothing…" I prayed my face wasn't getting pink. So much for not being friendly with him in public… At least I can trust Miyako, but I don't want her to make fun of me or anything…

"Aww… I was hoping that you'd mention the letter…"

I groaned, remembering that conversation from yesterday.

"Like I said…" I pulled a face, "it's none of our business… Just put it where you found it!" While I was trying to whisper, I could feel eyes on me.

"But I seriously think we should give this to him," she pulled the letter out so I could see it, and it was definitely the one I wrote. I ran to her desk and put a hand to hide it.

"Put it away, will you," I hissed.

"What do you have there?" Ellie appeared at my side, so I adjusted my hands so the envelope was hidden completely.

"Nothing!" Miyako gave me a hard look.

"Don't lie to her, Chihiro," traitor!

"Yesterday, after practice, I actually found a letter addressed for your brother."

"Oh, should I call Kami-nii-sama?"

I removed one of my hands and put it on Miyako's mouth before she could reply.

"It's not our business to give it to him… Just leave it alone!" My internal panic started appearing on my face when my vision wavered.

"What's gotten into you?" Miyako asked, but I glared, "do you know whose letter this is?"

"Homeroom is starting…" Nikaido's voice came from the front, and for the first time, it was a relief.

"I'll hold onto this…" I snatched the letter out of her hands.

Once I was in my seat, and the letter was in my bag, like how it was supposed to be, a weird shame settled into my heart. I couldn't run away from it forever, and Miyako would want an explanation… 'I wrote that' is a simple enough phrase, but saying it… never!

This whole crush is embarrassing enough without anyone else finding that letter. While it wasn't sappy, it was still bad for someone else to read it…

I was safe for the first part of the day. During the breaks between classes, I'd just randomly disappear to the bathroom or to get drinks, so that was fine. Even at lunch, I went to Yuuta-kun's class.

"I know it will be daunting to ask him to lunch around his friends, so just call him to speak with you outside," Otamega leaned against the pillar, pressing the buttons on his PFP.

"But what should I say to him?"

"I told you… I'll provide assistance… just bring him here."

"A-alright…" I walked off, once again embarrassed. Between his unwavering eyes and firm voice, he knew what he was doing. Still, it didn't stop the feeling that his eyes were probing me.

He was in 2-C, which was just next door to our class. Even though the door was open, I knocked anyway and popped my head in.

Aah, it's that girl again… The cute one who's a librarian… She looked up over her book.

"How can I help you?" she asked, and I blinked… Before, she had been so socially awkward that now, even if she was completely formal, she sounded quite normal now.

"Yeah… is Yuuta-kun in this class?"

"He is. I think he's over there. By the window…" actually, Sakuragi-kun was also there, talking with him. That's a face I haven't thought about in some time.

I dunno… should I actually go there? Yuuta-kun is with a whole bunch of guys, and pulling him away would only bring more questions later… Unless it was for school business…

That sounds pretty good… just tell him that Kadama needs him or something…

I left the room smiling a few minutes later. Not only was Yuuta-kun by my side, but Sakuragi-kun had all those boys' attention, so it would be alright.

* * *

"Aww, I wanted to hear about the pick-up lines," Yuuta-kun groaned, "So am I supposed to find Kodama in the faculty room?"

"Actually…" I stopped over at the agreed spot by the stairs, "he isn't calling you. I just wanted to talk to you myself," I could feel my face heat up.

"Oh…"

"_Ask him if you can treat him for lunch…"_ a whisper came from the side, and I nearly jumped. Why can I hear Katsuragi here?

"Aaahh… you see… I was thinking… Do you want to eat lunch with me? I-it'll be my treat."

He looked at me quizzically.

"_Don't get it wrong… I felt bad about yesterday. It isn't like I was thinking of you any other way..."_

I had to hold down my laughter at that line. Am I seriously playing a tsundere here?

I managed to repeat it without stuttering too much, considering how embarrassing those lines were.

"Why not, I guess? It's a free lunch. Let me get my umbrella," he started walking away.

"Stop him," I heard Katsuragi again.

"Wa-wait a sec!" the footfalls stopped.

"_I just want to say something first."_

I repeated it.

"_Even though I dropped that tea on you yesterday, I'm glad,"_ I put my foot down there. Now I just sound plain abusive.

"Even though it was unfortunate about the tea, I'm glad I got to meet you…" Yeah, that sounded way better.

"You don't need to be so hung up about that… My head is fine, after all," Man, is that guy dense? Pay attention to the whole sentence, dammit!

"_You see, since then, you keep popping up in my head."_

Gah! That sounds so embarrassing…

"_Say it!"_

"Ya-ya see… since then, you keep popping up in my head…" yeah, like one of those whack-a-mole games. I really feel like playing one of those right now.

"_Before long, I couldn't keep my eyes off you, Yuuta-kun,"_ man, I just dropped the whole tsun part already. That was fast.

I stuttered slightly as I said it. Yuuta-kun had one eye hiked up. Considering this is my second conversation with this guy, I'm saying way too much now.

"_Oh, don't get the wrong idea. I didn't mean it in that way,"_ I could feel a scoff at my throat. Is there even another way to interpret words like that?

Though seriously, where's his voice even coming from? This place was empty when I came here.

"_Hurry up!"_ Oh yes, the line… I repeated it.

He glanced at his phone for a second.

"Aah, actually, now isn't a good time. I forgot to do some homework which is due now. How about we do this during the second break?" he glanced back at his classroom.

"Yeah, sure… there's no helping that…" my tone was sweet, but inside, I was pretty sour. No one looks at their phone during a conversation, unless they're planning on ditching. On the other hand though, I didn't really care to protest or call him out on his lie.

I don't have anything else to say to him anyway… he's kinda boring.

When he was out of sight, I was more relieved than anything.

Oh yeah, where'd Katsuragi go to?

I glanced around, but I couldn't see him at all.

"Oi!" I heard from behind me, "it seems like a good time to plan for your next encounter."

Before I could say anything, Katsuragi started walking to the computer labs where we'd been yesterday. I guess that's my cue too, huh? Ugh!

Like Come On! I've already chatted to Yuuta-kun today… can't I go eat lunch or something?

Still, I guess it won't be too bad, because at least I'll get to spend some time with Katsuragi… I can't believe I'm thinking that…

"We've succeeded in leaving an impression. Now we must press the attack."

What… is attack a kind of red button you can push here? Katsuragi turned to the board.

"Ehh… That's enough for today. I've had my fun…"

"Isn't it your goal to confess your feelings?" I don't know why his eyes scared me, but I felt my breath hitch in my throat, "if you want to succeed, listen to my instructions."

"Alright, I get it."

His hand started moving, and before I could blink, he had drawn two profiles on the board.

"This is a diagram of Yuuta-kun's brain," he clarified, and that was probably a good thing, because it was really crappily drawn. I guess slow and steady is better. He pointed at the first scribble.

"If you increase the potential for love," his stick went to the second drawing, "he'll be more likely to see you in a romantic light," but now that I looked at the second picture, which had love written everywhere, there were lines right next to the eyes… Was that supposed to be a blush?

I couldn't stop myself from laughing.

"You're awful at drawing!"

"Shut up!"

"That's supposed to be Yuuta-kun? Give me a break!" after a quick glance at his annoyed face, I just laughed harder.

"Are you serious about this?"

"Of course," I replied through my laughter.

Once I had calmed down, and Otamega explained the brain diagram, which was apparently the before and after pictures of Yuuta-kun's thoughts, we got down to the actual lunch date discussion.

"Do you have an umbrella?"

Nooooo… not in this bright and shiny weather… There aren't even clouds today…

"Le'ssee… do you have any other pointless questions?" I retorted back. Ask a stupid question and you'll get a stupid answer. He scowled.

"If Yuuta-kun asks, you don't have one."

"What's the point of that?" So what… I'm out outside in the rain…

"Yuuta-kun will offer to share with you then… Nothing increases love points like a shared umbrella."

He went back to the board. After some chalk sounds, there was a new picture in place of the Yuuta-kun 'before' scribble. It was an umbrella with mine and Yuuta-kun's name.

"See, a love love umbrella!" he exclaimed as he drew a heart on the top, which strangely reminded me of my father's rants about the stock market, "behold its power…"

I wonder why he reminds me of Oto-san? It must be the hammy way he's speaking… Usually when my father gets like that, I reply with sarcasm.

"More like, behold Otamega's power to even mess up a picture made entirely of straight lines…"

Ellie, who'd been sitting next to me(since when?), laughed. Otamega himself looked like he was trying not to get mad at me.

"So, before that, we shall begin with the history of the love love umbrella… it was first used in a galge in…"

I felt my eyes shutting as he continued. Not that he was droning on about it, but rather, his voice was lulling me to sleep. The last couple of nights haven't been the smoothest, because of my sister constantly dropping info bombs on me, so this actually was very welcome.

* * *

"How long are you going to sleep!?" someone's hand banged on the desk right next to my ear, and my head jolted up, less than an inch away from Katsuragi's face.

Oi! Too close! Too freakin' close! Luckily, the sudden freezing of my brain and body broke, because I fell out of my seat.

"What the hell was that!?" he smiled smugly…

"Call that revenge for yesterday…" I whipped out my phone, and was relieved that there wasn't a moustache drawn on my face.

So what was his revenge? Was it the fact that he got so close that he would only have to lean forward an inch if he wanted to kiss me?

"Yeah, I bet that scared you…" he sounded proud on himself, but I knew I couldn't look him in the face… not after that thought.

"Yeah, that did," my voice sounded small.

"Now, if your ears have stopped ringing, let's continue, because lunch ends in five minutes."

"My ears?" I looked up.

"Well, I did hit that desk pretty hard," he looked at his palm, "the sound was supposed to annoy you," oooh, that was the revenge…

Now I just felt embarrassed that I even considered Katsuragi being the slightest bit interested in me. Obviously, he isn't… there's nothing in me that anything would be interested in…

"Ooh, is that hail?" Ellie was over at the window, watching the small ice stones come down. I guess it started because I was looking down on myself.

"I'm going to class…" I let myself out before either Katsuragi could complain. In any case, the hallway was pretty crowded, so I didn't want to come out with them.

In any case, I was humming _'Love Call'_ under my breath, and that actually helped. The rain was considerably slower by the time I reached class. Oh, Miyako… I totally forgot about that.

Well, no point delaying it… she's right behind Ellie, so it's not like I can avoid it anyway…

"What are you sighing about?" she asked.

"Aah, nothing…" my desk looks really comfortable right now.

Silence…

So is she not going to ask about the letter I stole from her?

Gah, this is annoying!

"I put the letter back on the first floor…"

"Well, it was probably for the best… We don't need to get involved anyway…"

And only _now_ you decide to see it my way? I could almost see myself pulling my hair out.

"I see…"

"Anyway, I was actually glad you took it away… I would have regretted it I'd given it to him…"

My head whipped to look at her, but she was looking at the window. Even through her fingers, I could see a slight redness to her face. Wha-what was she getting at?

"Why would you have regretted it?"

"I dunno…" she looked down at her desk, "it's just… I was wondering what it is about Katsuragi that the girl who wrote that letter could have liked…"

I really don't like which way this conversation is going… not that I'd expected anything better before…

"I wouldn't think too hard… There isn't anything worth liking in him…" Which kinda makes me wonder why I like him so much… he's just plain rude and he plays too many games… plus, there's that stupid hair strand which randomly pops up in my vision in class which I have to force myself to not stare at.

"Even if you say that, there has to be something… I'm just curious about it…"

Well, he does make some funny, if not slightly creepy, faces whenever he gets into his games… and his eyes are really… striking? If that even is the right word. Even if his personality is rough, and I always get in fights with him, he is nice enough to help a near stranger like me out… Though I can't tell her that…

"Still no idea…" I shrugged, "though why are you curious? We don't even have the letter anymore, so…" still, she wasn't really listening.

"I just think that maybe… if the whole class stopped ignoring him, we could see what kind of person he is? I bet he is a nice person."

"So what… Do you want to be friends with him?"

"Yeah…" she trailed off… "Or maybe something else…"

My clutch pencil fell, and the lead broke on the surface.

"I don't know what it was about that letter, but I haven't stopped thinking about him all day…"

"I see…"

Gaah! What alternate universe have I gone to where Miyako likes Katsuragi!? Who's next!? Ayumi!?

"Tha-that isn't too weird, right?" her voice was smaller sounding than I've ever heard it.

"Well, it is a little weird for me… but I'm not you… if you want to get closer to him, I can't say anything to stop you…"

Regardless of how reluctant I'd felt, I had no right to get in Miyako's way, because I decided long ago that I would never pursue him.

"So you really think I should go for it?"

"Yes…" No! Stop being an idiot!

Her gloomy face brightened, which made me feel even worse about my inner thoughts. I really should be supportive, but I'm not.

I watched some scene play out in front of me… Miyako went over to his desk and asked about some homework problem, and despite Katsuragi's reluctance (and probably the fact that he cared even less about the homework than I did), he still helped her. Ellie then took the opportunity to ask what she didn't understand, which was everything, so Katsuragi just went back to ignoring them while playing his games. So Miyako ended up helping Ellie…

For me, it was just like someone kept poking me to pay attention to them, even though I didn't want to.

Still, I was pretty surprised… Despite what a grouchy pants Katsuragi is, if someone asks for help, he will begrudgingly help them… That makes him pretty reliable too… Just stop it, Chihiro!

If I keep counting all the good things about Katsuragi, it'll just be harder to be happy with Yuuta-kun. I mean, Yuuta-kun is cool, and… what…

I don't even know anything about him…

Why is this so difficult!? Why can't I just make up my mind and stop meandering like a headless chicken?

"Chihiro," Ayumi slapped her hand on my desk to get my attention, "where were you at lunch today?"

"Just… stuff…" I waved my hand vaguely. She seemed satisfied by my non-answer.

"Alright… I'm glad you seem to be busy nowadays…"

"And this comes from the busiest person I know…"

"Aah, don't be like that," she slapped my arm, "the meet is on Monday, so we'll definitely hang out on Tuesday. I wanna eat ramen," I smiled wryly… She wasn't doing it on purpose, but she just reminded me of how empty my own schedule is. I don't really know how I even spend my days anyway.

"That sounds like fun," but I did mean it. I really do enjoy hanging out with Ayumi. I'm just worried that I won't get this Weiss thing sorted out before Monday and I'll rain out the whole thing…

"That's great…" her face suddenly got serious, "though do you ever plan on joining a club?"

Well, that came out of nowhere… also, she hasn't mentioned this in ages… I immediately went onto the defensive side.

"You already know the answer to that… I'm just not good at anything…"

"I know you say that, but you just seem really bored lately. Clubs are just for fun, so you don't even need to be good at them…"

'Rich coming from you…' I thought bitterly.

"Look, class is beginning," I turned away from her to my bag to pull out my books, even though I had no interest in them. Ayumi went away.

Something occurred to me as I reloaded my pencil for the fourth time in 10 minutes: I am literally the saddest person in the world…

Oh, not the depressed kind of sad. I'm just plain pitiful. I just waste my life away doing nothing, because there's nothing that interests me, and there's nothing I'm good at. Even though my life should be interesting now, because of that Weiss and the fact that I'm kinda getting along with Katsuragi, it still feels like in a completely different world from them all.

Well, I guess I spend most of my time avoiding myself… by keeping my head in the clouds and doing nothing, at least I don't have to face the reality that I'm just plain stupid, and that I'll probably get nowhere in life, because I don't want to try hard on anything.

"Confiscated!"

A now PFP-less Katsuragi was rubbing his head where Nikaidou had smacked him with a book.

Still, if anyone was equally good at avoiding reality as me, it was definitely this guy. He just plays games all the time…

Heck, his first line was "if you're 3D, don't bother me."

Was it wrong… to maybe consider him as an ally? He's kind of like me, except a complete otaku with no regard for others, oh, and perfect grades.

In fact, he probably hates reality more than I do. Though he also hates me… So he is kinda like me…

Aah, this is just hopeless. I ended up sneaking a magazine behind my books.

At lunch, Ellie reminded me that I needn't take an umbrella. I shrugged. It wouldn't be half bad if I was seen sharing an umbrella with a hottie like Yuuta-kun. Somehow, it was like reading that magazine had given me a super shot of oestrogen, and I was almost psyched for hanging out with Ka-Yuuta-kun…

"You know…" Katsuragi was waiting outside the door, "this kind of weather has some really great events… We should take advantage of it."

Yeah, the love love umbrella… goddit… It's weird though… Everyone is using umbrellas to shade themselves from my bad mood. I'd say it's my fault, but I'm not even doing this on purpose.

"So, do you have enough money so you can buy omelette soba sandwiches today?" Oh yes, I didn't check... I pulled out my purse.

"Nope!" I shrugged.

"You don't even have 200 yen on you?"

"I do, but omelette soba is really hard to get… Isn't it like… 100 trillion yen?"

"Are you out of your mind? Obviously no one can afford that here. It's only for 100 yen like the rest of the sandwiches…"

"Beats me… I've never ever bought one of those."

"Where are you going?" I stopped. Somehow, my brain seemed to have autopiloted itself to go to the computer lab where I usually meet Katsuragi. Considering I've only met him there twice, it's kinda disturbing… Not that my feelings are anything short of disturbing…

"Uh, I'm going nowhere…" Gah, my cheeks!

"You should just go to his class," well, that was actually quite obvious.

"Alright… so what will you do now?" He pushed up his glasses.

"I'll be doing the exact same thing as before… Keep an ear out for my voice…"

Some minutes later, I was outside with Yuuta-kun by the bread vendor. That umbrella sharing thing hasn't gone to plan, because his umbrella was tiny, so I just "borrowed an umbrella from a friend," and just met him outside.

"So… should I get you an omelette soba sandwich?" I asked. The crowd outside there was huge, so I definitely wasn't looking forward to it.

"Yeah, that would be good," he eyed the crowd, "though do you mind if I stay here? I'm claustrophobic, so I won't survive in there."

"Err… sure," I gave a smile and walked towards the throng of hungry wildebeest. Usually, I'd come to get lunch when it wasn't as busy, but all the good stuff would be sold out, so I really wasn't used to this at all.

"_What are you waiting for?" _I heard Katsuragi hiss. I glanced to where the voice should be coming from, but there was no one there. Weird…

"I-I forgot how crowded it gets at the beginning of lunch…"

"_Well, it's a hard fight to get what you want, isn't it? Just go now…" _Though seriously, does he have some kind of speaker he's talking through?

"B-but… it's so busy. How am I supposed to get past all this?"

"_It's not that difficult… The longer you wait, the worse it'll get."_

Before I could do anything, I felt hands on my shoulders, pushing me through the crowd of people. Of course, the ride was bumpy, but I reached the front really fast.

"_Now just get her attention and you're good. There are still a couple sandwiches left,"_ the warm hands left my shoulder, but when I looked back, he's was gone back into the crowd, so I couldn't see him anymore.

I emerged from the crowd, holding two subs in victory. This was the first time I'd ever successfully made it, and I felt really triumphant.

Though, it's thanks to Katsuragi. He'd been the one to shove me through it all. I wanted to thank him, but I couldn't see him anywhere.

"_He's waiting for you, you know,"_ Katsuragi's voice came from nowhere, and my smile faded. Somehow, the thought of going back and talking to Yuuta-kun just made me feel a little cold.

I saw Yuuta-kun leaning against a pole, reading some manga. I glanced at the cover.

"You like Kuroko no Basuke?" He nodded and put the book away, now that I was back.

"Aah, so you must be really good at basketball…" Katsuragi whispered. I relayed the message, despite how stupid it was. There is zero correlation between what you read and what you are good at. Even still, Yuuta-kun turned a bit pink and rubbed his hair.

"Well, I try… After school, I sometimes like practicing with the Basketball Club…"

"Oh, do you plan on doing that today?" I relayed that as well.

"I think I will, actually… Wanna come watch?"

The rest of break was pleasant. Seeing that Katsuragi piped some of the lines to help move the conversation forward (because silly me can't hold a conversation with a boy, according to Katsuragi's brain), I didn't really have to think too hard about what to say. I stand corrected though… Yuuta-kun isn't boring… if you actually know anything about Kuroko no Basuke… He explained most of the premise as we hung out, but somehow, I got a feeling that he was more psyched about the fact that he could talk about it than the fact that he was talking with me.

* * *

"So Nii-sama says you should wear your PE clothes when you go see Yuuta-kun…" Ellie told me as we were packing our bags after class. Katsuragi had run off already. I didn't really have an issue with that.

"I guess I'll go pick up my clothes and change there…"

"Actually, Kami-nii-sama said you should change by the bathroom at the gym."

"Why?"

"I don't know, maybe because it's closer…"

"Ugh, that means I'll have to make another trip back to drop my clothes off… that's annoying…"

I spent most of the trip wondering if there was any relevance to taking my clothes rather than just changing in the girl's locker room where I always left my uniform. Still, as it turned out to be, there actually was a reason.

No one really changed in the girl's locker room by the basketball club. It was supposed to be for the girls' basketball team, but Maijima didn't have a girls' team, so it was empty. Not that I minded… it just meant I could dawdle a little.

Which is why, when the door was thrown open and Katsuragi was flung in, I wasn't embarrassed or mad. I had my awesome willpower to thank for that… and the fact I'd been dawdling so much that I only had my uniform jacket off.

"What happened to you?" was probably the right question to ask. Considering he had scratches all over his face, and the fact that someone actually flung him two meters into the door pretty much says that he didn't want to do that. He rubbed his nose.

"The real is so damn uncooperative…" his voice was a little muffled.

Tell me about it… I was just thanking my lucky stars I was too lazy to dress fast, because this would have been a hell of a lot more awkward.

Heck, I'm in the girls' locker room, having a discussion with a male classmate… this is just plain weird, even with me mostly dressed.

"Actually, never mind… I don't care… Just leave and I won't mention this again…"

"Alright," he let go of his nose, and blood trickled out.

"Seriously…" I could feel my eyes rolling, "now your nose is bleeding?"

"I swear, I'm not a pervert. Don't hit me…" I just had to face palm at that. My thoughts didn't even go to that direction at all, because I know he doesn't care for real girls… or real anything… I was just bemused at this whole romcom-esque situation.

"I'm not going to hit you, so please leave."

So I sat on the bench and watched him tug on the door, which wouldn't budge.

"What, can't your gamer arms open a little door?" He glared and stepped aside, indicating I gave it a try. When I did, the handle would barely move, and the door was stuck in place.

"Alright, this door is stuck…" I groaned. Why is this happening to me?

"Most likely, he's holding the door shut," Katsuragi shrugged, and started looking in his pockets for something: most likely, tissues, because his nose was still bleeding. Seeing that we were kind of stuck here, I just threw my pack of tissues to him, so he wouldn't bleed everywhere. His lone free hand fumbled to catch it.

"Say, how did you even get here? And why are you so beaten up?" he shrugged again.

"My plan didn't work this time. I tried to push Yuuta-kun in here, but he was stronger. In fact, he's probably the one who's holding the door shut now…"

"Idiot… what the hell kind of pla-"

Wait… was this supposed to be another event? Like Yuuta-kun was supposed to catch me changing.

"Accidental pervert moments are the best kind of failure event, because it increases love points significantly. In fact, if there was ever an event to remind the guy that you are, in fact a girl, than it has to be this one."

"Wow… you're really dumb…" and that's true. Unless a guy wants to be hit, there's no other purpose to this event.

"Please…" he pushed up those glasses, "if this event had gone as planned, you could probably confess to Yuuta-kun tomorrow, and he would have accepted," but I guess that's ten potential points down the drain… Damn you, real!"

"Well, you fell into your own trap, so you deserved it…" Katsuragi, who was lamenting his failed plan, glared at me and gave me the pointer finger.

"You…" somehow, it seemed like he remembered his outrage towards me, "why are you still fully dressed?"

Wow… I have never expected to be ever asked that… like ever…

"I like dressing slowly… what can you do?"

"And what the hell was with your reaction!? You're supposed to blush and punch a guy who breaks into the girls changing room, before going on about how you can't get married…"

"That's just in your games, you idiot!" but honestly, even if he had caught me in the middle of changing, I wouldn't have cared too much. Development wise, I don't think I've grown much since I was 13, so it wouldn't really be worth it peeking on me anyway.

"Even if I had been able to get Yuuta-kun in here, this whole event would have sizzled out before any relationship development happened, so this was a total dud…"

Well, I'm sorry I'm not a violent raging tsundere! Sheesh… I tried the door again.

"Oh, it's open now."

I popped my head out, and it seemed like Yuuta-kun was getting a lecture from a whole bunch of girls.

Wait, they're the Judo team… and they're not changed. I quickly slammed the door and grabbed Katsuragi by his blazer. With that, I shoved him into the broom closet and climbed in after him.

"What the hell!?" he whispered.

"The girls judo team is coming to change here, so unless you want to get the crap beaten out of you, I suggest you shut up!" I whispered back.

A few seconds later, the Judo girls strolled in. It was definitely them, because I saw Mappy-chan with them, as well as her bitchy friend, through the space between the hinges.

"This is for girls, you know? Why didn't you just stay out there?" He asked. A pretty good question, if you ask me.

I was allowed in there, but I was too scared to talk with Mappy-chan… My own brain had freaked out, and I'd climbed into this closet myself. Also, it didn't help that I felt insanely comfortable with Katsuragi.

Actually, now that I think about it, this was a pretty standard romcom scene as well. The broom closet was big enough that I wasn't stuck to Katsuragi, but it was still a little cramped. Katsuragi was sitting on an upturned bucket, now a PFP in his hands, and I could feel his shoes pressing against my ankles.

That was pretty tame, considering two days ago, I had him in one of those wrestling holds.

"You should just go outside…" I watched his mouth move in the light of his PFP.

"I-I had a fight with a friend, who's here… I don't want to talk to her."

"Real girls are so petty…" a sardonic smile graced his face, "well, there isn't a need for friends, so it doesn't really matter…"

For a few moments, we sat in silence… well, I was still standing, watching through the cracks, but still. My brain was preoccupied with his words. Unlike what he said, everyone needs friends. People tend to get bored on their own, so having friends helps alleviate that. Still, does that mean Katsuragi doesn't have friends?

"We do need friends… reality isn't the easiest thing to get through, so seeing a friendly face really helps," he scoffed.

"Only boring people get bored on their own… Still, in games, friends are the ones who give you a hand with girls, and I don't need them. Why are friends in real life any different?"

"Maybe because they make everything more interesting… you can rely on them when times are tough, and have fun with them when everything is good… Friends are a necessity…"

"Not for me…" he mumbled and continued his game. Somehow, all I felt was pity for him. At school, he only really talks to Ellie, who's his sister. He is good at school and his games, but as a human, he's still a bit lacking.

Not that I'm better… I'm still on pretty sucky terms with most people… I really should apologize now, given that I have the chance…

"I don't think you're right… But as I am, I really can't lecture you… I'll be off then…"

No one really seemed to be paying attention, so I quickly slipped out of the closet.

"Mappy-chan…" she looked up from her changing,

"Ch-chiro-chan?" she scratched her head nervously. I'm pretty sure I was doing the same, "when did you get here?"

"Oh…um… I was in the bathroom…" that seemed plausible enough.

"Ah, I see…" we were both hesitating, so I tried to say what I wanted to.

"I'm… sorry that I slapped your friend. She just something that bothered me."

"Yeah… I kinda figured that much… Though you could have told me that before."

"I know… I've been pretty much in a bad mood for the last two weeks, so I didn't want to…"

"I'm not mad… Natsumi can be unreasonable at times… still, I was surprised that she got such a reaction from you…"

"Well, it was a bad mood… Somehow, she knew that I liked… well, you know who I'm talking about. She started going on about my Otaku hobbies, so I just got madder."

"Oh, so that's it…" her face, which was serious before, softened, "still, I didn't mention what you told me to anyone, so I don't know how she knows…"

"Yeah… I was worried about that…" as I suspected, there was some genius who figured that I liked Katsuragi. But who the hell could it be, because if they've already told one person, who's there to say that they'll keep quiet now. I guess I'll have to ask Mappy's friend who told her… please, as if she'd tell me…

"Gah, this is annoying!" Even if I ask Mappy to ask her in my stead, that'd only make it worse, because Kurogami would know that's a sore spot, and would make her more likely to spread it… I wonder if ignoring it would actually be a better idea now…

"Even still, I don't get why you just didn't tell me when I asked… For the past week, I've just wondering what she said to you, and if you hated me because of that…" she ran a hand through her hair, dislodging her hair clips.

Somehow, I notice really insignificant stuff, when I should be thinking about what she said. I just didn't want to make myself feel worse by thinking that I've been a sucky friend. Actually, it isn't even up for discussion. I know that as a friend, I'm not the best.

"I guess… I felt… like I was the worse… and that I didn't even deserve to apologize…" I scratched my nail.

"What did she say to you!?" her eyes narrowed. I didn't really want to reply, but this'll never end, if I keep acting so stubborn.

"Err… you see… I felt like it was my fault that things weren't going smoothly for you and Shinji-kun… if I just didn't try, then you wouldn't have had to worry about me…"

"Idiot!" I felt my hair jump up as she slapped the back of my head, "it wasn't your fault at all! Relationships aren't easy things, and those bumps were inevitable. In fact, you were more of a victim in this than anything…"

"So you're not mad at me?"

"Only because you were an idiot… But that was all…"

"Not even because I was in the way at the beginning…"

"Stop being stupid," a small smile appeared on her face, "it was thanks to you that I met Shinji… And even if there are a few kinks, we'll work it out, so you don't need to worry about it…" and she rubbed the spot she had hit, "you're a good friend, so don't blame what happened on yourself…"

At that point, that feeling of hopelessness that had been around for the last week lifted slightly. Not that I had been really worried, but it's still nice when you have a good conversation with a friend.

"In any case," her voice lowered, "did you decided to give up on Katsuragi for good?" Eeeh, I forgot! Seriously, I forgot that there's a freaking guy 5 feet away from all those changing girls? How do you even do that?

"Funny story…" my eyes drifted to the closet. Not that I think Katsuragi is a pervert, but I should really get rid of everyone before something really stupid happens.

"Nii-nii! I'm coming in!"

Yeah… something like that…

Everyone was looking around, wondering where that loud voice had come from. For me, I had a decent idea where it could be…

'Mute your PFP, damn it!'

"It sounded like it came from here," one girl put her hand on the closet door, but I slammed a hand before she opened it.

"That was me," my voice more shrill than usual, "I was throwing my voice so that it sounded like it was coming from here…"

"So… who's Nii-nii?"

"And who's Sae-chan and Ai-chan?" I countered back. Luckily, my panic had morphed my voice, so I did sound strangely close to that voice which had come from the closet.

"So it's not like some guy is around here?" it clicked. This was a perfect way to get rid of everyone.

"Well, there was a flash from outside earlier… there might be…" but I refrained mentioning it was lightning… and that it was three hours ago… and that it was nowhere near here.

"GIRLS!" and almost like magic, the half-changed girls were fully dressed and ready to kick some pervert's butt.

"Let's go teach that guy a lesson!" someone, who may have been the captain, yelled. The others agreed and started walking off.

"I'll knock when it's clear," I muttered. He should hear it, considering I'm right by the door.

10 seconds later, the last of the Judo girls were gone, and Mappy-chan waved bye. I shut the door behind them.

Ugh, now that I think about it, I should have changed while I was chatting with Mappy-chan. Katsuragi was gaming, so he wouldn't be perving on anyone here.

Well, I could quickly change and knock on the closet door once I'm done. He's probably still playing, so an extra minute won't matter.

Actually, yeah, that'll work. Besides, sending him out now when the girls are still looking for the guy… let's just say the smackdown he received from Yuuta-kun would be nothing…

So I put on my tracksuit bottom just fine, but as I had put my arms through the holes in my t-shirt, I noticed Katsuragi was just outside the closet, trying to tiptoe back. His eyes widened when he noticed that I had seen him. Somehow, the whole expression seemed familiar. Have I seen it before?

Not that it really mattered, because the entrance burst open, so we both turned to look at that. Mappy-chan was there. Katsuragi hadn't been able to hide.

"Uh… I dropped my hairclip here…" her voice was small, but as she watched, a smirk came onto her face. Then I remembered my arms were still on the bottom of my t-shirt, which looked suspiciously like I was removing it. It seemed like the same thought occurred to Katsuragi, because his face went up a shade or three on the pink gradient.

"I'll… err… come pick it up later…" that smirk only got wider as she shot me a 'play nice, kids…' kind of look. I quickly shoved down my shirt, as I should have done ten seconds ago, and just hoped to disappear. She winked before she left, which properly concluded the fastest complete humiliation that I've ever had… ever…

"You!" I screamed at Katsuragi, "why can't you wait for the knock, like normal people!?"

"Well, it was quiet, so I though everyone had left… How the hell was I supposed to know you were changing!?"

"I told you, I would knock!"

But in the end, I wasn't angry that he opened the closet. I didn't care that Mappy-chan came back to fetch her dropped clip. I was just angry that both of these things happened at the same time as me changing.

I just hope he wasn't paying enough attention to notice the slight scar on the right side of my waist from that motorcycle accident.

Ugh, what's done is done… even if he did see it, I doubt he'd be curious enough to ask. In fact, I just need to clear this up with Mappy now.

"Whatever… I'm going home…" I put my normal uniform back into my gym bag and put them on my back.

"What about Yuuta-kun," Katsuragi said behind me. I sighed.

"I honestly don't give a damn right now…" I pulled my bag on either arm.

"S-so what about your event with Yuuta-kun?"

"I need to do some damage control first, so this will have to wait," I put my hand on the door.

"Look, she's your friend, so she's not going to run her mouth about that accident. Damage control can wait!" I stopped.

"You really don't get it at all, do you?" and for the first time in ages, I could feel myself losing my cool, just like how I had on Ayumi's birthday party.

"Yuuta-kun isn't the one I care about at all," his eyebrows furrowed. Normally, by the point, I'd just look away and leave, but I was dead serious now.

"It's you-" my voice cut, when Miyako's face popped up in my mind.

What the hell am I doing? I don't want to date Katsuragi, so why am I here, confessing? And just the fact that Miyako may like him pretty much makes me a traitor if I finish this sentence.

"I care that you ended up being the one here. Why the hell did you think picking a fight with Yuuta-kun is a good idea, when he's clearly stronger and bigger than you?" I could feel my eyes prickling, "I hate that you think this kind of event is perfectly normal…"

"Would it have been better if Yuuta-kun had been here?" I couldn't look at his expression, but his voice was sympathetic.

"Probably not… Sorry, but I'm calling it a day on this. This whole thing just killed my mood," his voice hitched, like he was going to say something, but stopped himself.

"I'll admit… I may have gone too far planning this event without telling you."

"Ya think?"

"Fine, just take the rest of the day off. We'll pick this up tomorrow…"

"Yeah…" I walked out without saying anymore, because I knew I'd just regret it.

I hated that I'd been reduced to half truths… I hated that, even after all that, I still wanted to hang out with Katsuragi some more… Though I think the worst thing was that the more time I spent with Katsuragi, the more I come to like his personality. He's weird, but not actually in a way that I despised.

Still, it's useless… I was still too scared to hang out with him in public, and the whole Miyako liking him basically kills any minuscule chance of me dating him.

Still, somehow, I'm wondering how this will work… Because as much as I don't want to like Katsuragi, I don't think I can ever like Yuuta-kun, and today just confirmed it.

I can have more fulfilling conversations with Gyuu-kun, who's a freakin' bunny… And considering he beat up Katsuragi, I like him even less now.

Somehow, I think this hobby of chasing good looking guys who I don't give a rat's ass about… I'm pretty sure that's why I'm sad.

But it was also the fact that my feelings would be unrequited forever, and they're probably eating me from the inside out…

Then also, it's the fact that I hate myself, and I'm probably not worthy for any guys anyway…

So basically, I'm a wreck… it's no wonder that Weiss thing is inside me.

* * *

When I got home, I couldn't go straight to bed, mostly because there was a huge ass guitar on my bed.

"What's this?" I asked my siblings, who were sitting next to the guitar.

"We figured you were bored… so here's an idea for a hobby," Nee-san smiled.

"Yeah, I borrowed this from a friend, so you can see if you like it…" Chitose handed it over. I looked at the weird tuning knobs and the strings.

"You know I don't know how to play, right?"

"Of course… that's why you should learn," I motioned for the two of them to get off my bed, so they did.

"Oi!" I heard their protests as I climbed into bed.

"I'm tired… just let me sleep…" They tried talking to me about the guitar, but I ignored them till they left.

Don't get me wrong… I love my siblings, but I don't know why they're trying so hard when I'm just in a disagreeable mood. Besides, the guitar is just a bit much… I'd never be able to learn a new instrument.

Still, wasn't that on my bucket list as a kid?

Well, I wasn't sleepy, so I opened my desk and pulled out that old diary. Because I was more or less a neat person, it wasn't that much effort finding it.

I remembered from before that it was written on some blue paper and folded into an envelope.

**THINGS TO DO BEFORE I'M 16**

Beat Ayumi at a race

Stay up all night

Learn how to play an instremint

Watch a movie with Tetsurou-kun

Get revenge on that jerk who stole my bike

Eat five meat buns at once, because theyre yummy

Climb the big tree in the park

Master the spinning pole

Collect 500 hair clips

Get a pet unicorn

And of course, this was written is complete scratches, because I hadn't mastered writing yet. Still, this just made me nostalgic. Even though most of those weren't impossible goals, I still really looked to improving myself and moving forward. That was a passion that died in me quite long ago.

Of those nine goals which I could actually do, I had only completed two of them, which was actually kinda sad, considering these were relatively easy things to do.

Eh, it doesn't really matter anyway… I'm older than 16, so this is kinda null and void now.

Ah, my phone's vibrating. It's been a long time since I've gotten a call. I clicked the green button without looking at the screen.

"Yello…"

"You scamp, you…" replied a very familiar voice. I would have blushed at that tone, if I wasn't as exasperated as I was now.

"Sorry, you have the wrong number," I started admiring my plain nails.

"Aww, don't be such a stranger."

"If you continue to use that tone, I'll have to forward you to a supervisor," she laughed.

"Point taken…" she started talking like a normal person, "sorry I disturbed your fun time with Katsuragi…"

"He came in while I was changing. We weren't doing anything weird at all," despite being completely alone, I still felt like I wanted the floor to swallow me.

"But I didn't see anyone outside the room go in. Where did he even come from?"

"He-he was in the broom closet…"

"So-so he was… inside the changing room the whole time?" her voice quivered.

"Yeah… he was only supposed to come out when I told him too, but he didn't listen to me…"

"So… you knew he was inside?"

"Ye-yeah, I was the one who hid him there…" for two seconds, there was only silence on the phone.

"Whoa!" she exclaimed before laughing maniacally, "and here I was thinking that me and Shinji were close, but you guys take the cake… I'm surprised you guys haven't jumped each other's bones yet…"

"Don't you feel embarrassed saying crap like that!?" I screamed back, "this is why I don't mention stuff like this to you…"

"So are you saying this isn't the first time you ended up in a compromising position with him…" she inferred. I pulled the front of my t-shirt forward, trying to stop myself from sweating.

"I-I-I di-didn't say tha-that…"

"Hmm… I can't say I really believe you, but I'll leave it… Still, I'm glad you didn't give up on him…" my frown only deepened.

"I did give up on him…" she scoffed.

"It sure appeared like that…"

"No, at the moment, Katsuragi's helping me confess to Yuuta-kun. Today's accident was just a pile up of messed up plans…"

"Who's Yuuta-kun?" I opened my mouth, but nothing popped up to mind. I really didn't know him, and nor do I really care to actually get to know him, "so do you actually like him?"

"No! He's alright, but I have no interest in his favourite manga, and considering that he was the one who beat up Katsuragi and threw him in the girls' changing room, I think he's kinda violent as well…"

"So why are you doing this? Obviously, no matter how many guys you try confessing to, the result is always the same…"

"It's not going to fail this time. Katsuragi is helping with that. Considering the game he plays, I'm guaranteed a positive reply."

"I'm not referring to that… the result is still the same in the sense that it won't work for you… to me, it just seems like Katsuragi is the only guy you're interested in…"

"No he isn't…" she scoffed again, "okay, he is… but I can't go out with him…"

"And why not? You guys are getting along fine…"

"I'm not the only one who likes him… And more than that, this other girl doesn't have any qualms with chatting with him in class, and she's nicer than me. Not to mention, she's actually a friend, so I refuse to screw her over by confessing my half-assed feelings to him…"

More silence…

"So what else can I do?" it finally seemed like my point was sinking in.

"I can see where you're coming from… so you'll just sit tight and let Katsuragi help you date Yuuta-kun…"

"Yeah… I'll just go along and confess to Yuuta-kun… then, once we start dating, I'll get over Katsuragi. That sounds like the best plan."

"I guess… if you think that's the best plan of action… Still, running away from your problem won't solve it, you know?"

Is that what I'm doing… running away? To me, it's more like I'm trying to squish it down… not that it's really working…

"What's wrong with not facing your problems head on? There's no point on sitting on a problem with no solution… in fact, most problems just take some enduring, and time will deal with them…"

"Well, considering you handled being caught changing by Katsuragi, than I'm sure you'll be fine…" I nodded.

After that, we ended chatting for a few more minutes, before she ended the call. I didn't mention the new guitar or the back street magical business, but I liked it. The ending did feel a bit empty.

I dunno, but empty does feel like it sums up my life… So much seems to happen around me, and while I should be happy about that, it just feels like empty drama, like those TV shows.

Mappy-chan had a point… It takes strength to endure that all, and I don't have that strength… I really do love Miyako, but the longer I spent with Katsuragi, the harder it gets to pretend I don't like him…

I'm good at pretending, but I know I'll slip up soon, and when I do, I'll regret it more than anything.

* * *

**Hey again... long time no see...**

**Sorry that this update came so late. There was just a lot I wanted to include, so this chapter is like... 10000 words.**

**In any case, my one week semester break has come, so I'll probably update the next chapter soon.**

**That being said, I still have no clue if you guys actually like all these new developments. No one's complained, so I'll take it as a good sign.**

**On completely unrelated news, Miyako dropped by with a huge ice mold shaped like a cannon. I wonder if it works?**


	33. And so, I had an imaginary friend

**Ooh, I'm back...**

**Anyhoo, I'm going to apologize in advanced.**

**In other news, I seemed to have gotten a pick-axe from my sister. It the same colour as that ice cannon I've had in the freezer the last two weeks, which is cool...**

* * *

_I was parked on my motorcycle seat, but for once, the weather looked really nice. The sky was blue and that little kid was nowhere to be seen, which was kind of a shame, because I had a few things to ask her… Still, there wasn't much point thinking about it, so I just snacked on a meat bun. It's my dream, so I can take it easy for once._

"_Aren't you going to drive?" Katsuragi asked, still not looking over his PFP. Now that I noticed, he was actually sitting behind me. I wonder why that felt a little familiar?_

"_W-what are you doing here?" I edged forward so I wasn't touching him anymore._

"_You should know that… I'm here to guide you…"_

"_Can't you guide me from the side car?"_

_He looked at it for a second, before putting his game away._

"_Nah… but you can go sit there…"_

"_But it's my dream… Shouldn't I be driving it?"_

"_It's your life… are you driving it?"_

_I glared at him once before climbing into the sidecar. He did have a point, anyway…_

"_Besides, you're too jumpy when you're driving… I'll do it properly…"_

_Well, sorry for being scared of vehicles… It's not like I wanted to be scared of driving…_

"_Put on your helmet…" Huh, did I always have one of those?_

_Still, in any case, Katsuragi drove really smoothly. It wasn't bad to take a backseat to it all. When the helmet slipped down my head, I didn't even bother pulling it back up. I mean, no ones here._

_Still, I really can't remember this world actually being this vivid. There was even scenery here, with mountains and small tufts of grass. We were even on a road… Is it coz Katsuragi is with me?_

_After a few minutes, he stopped to look at a map. It was a crossroad, but there was a sign post anyway._

"_It doesn't matter which way you go… they all lead to love anyway…"_

"_I know that. I just want to find the fastest route, because we only have one more day to get there."_

"_Eeehh, it doesn't matter… Let's just take a scenic route… You put the time limit yourself," I took a bite of my meat bun._

"_Alright, so a longer route…" he started following a road with his fore finger._

"_Give it up with the map already… Let's just go left…"_

"_Why left?"_

"_It's easier to turn there…"_

"_Don't get mad at me if this takes too long," he shrugged and chucked the map into the sidecar, "we'll go left, even if we don't know what's there…"_

"_Isn't that the fun of travelling," I chucked my meat bun at him… "you should eat something as well…"_

* * *

My alarm went off then, so I stretched and got up. When I opened the curtain, it was almost sunny. I guess I'm in a better mood today.

I wonder what it is… I guess I'm looking forward to hanging out with Katsuragi today. Even yesterday, I got to chat with him loads.

Hmm, I wonder if once this is all over, and I'm dating Yuuta-kun, we can still be friends…

As I was changing I noticed that the doodle Chitose had given me two days ago was still on my desk, so for the first time, I actually took a proper look at it.

It was pretty cute… I was holding an umbrella over the both of us while Katsuragi played games. Still. I can't imagine it in real life…

Well, I guess that doesn't surprise me. Being in the rain would mean we'd have to be outside together, and when we're outside, people are roaming around. I wouldn't really want to hang out with Katsuragi if there are other people watching and judging me…

That's why I'm 100 percent certain that I wouldn't want to go out with Katsuragi… Besides, there a difference between liking someone and wanting to go out with them…

Well, I wouldn't take that picture to school, but I don't mind keeping it… Chitose did draw it for me and all…

On my way to school, I had headphones in, and was shuffling through my songs. I ended up skipping quite a bit, but I stopped at this untitled piano piece. I think my sister sent me that, but I hadn't really listened to it.

Still, I should've listened to it more, because it was really… pretty sounding. I ended up looping it all the way to school.

Considering how I was in a good mood, and the tune was kind of sad sounding, I started humming to cheer it up, but my humming just matched with the music's pace, so it still sounded sombre.

Eh, I should switch to something more cheerful…

Aah, Kanon-chan will always cheer me up. I was singing _Happy Crescent_ softly when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Thinking of Katsuragi, weren't you?" Mappy-chan smiled cheekily. I pulled out one earpiece.

"What makes you think that?"

"_I want you to know these feelings… for you, an eternal romance…"_

I shoved her.

"I'm just teasing… there's no need to get so violent…" she pouted.

"Can't I just sing for the sake of singing? Does it have to be that I'm singing about someone…"

"Weelll, I guess it doesn't have to… Still, I bet you're thinking of him now…"

"That's it… I disown you as my friend…" I started walking faster, even though I was joking. With any luck though, she won't see on my face that she is right.

"Aww, but I wanted to tell you that you sounded really good…"

"You think so?"

"Wow, you cheered up fast… It's like the sun came out…" I nearly choked. She obviously didn't know about my projected emotions, but that was still strange she made that association.

"Well, it's the first time anyone has complimented me on my singing…"

"Really?" she scratched her hair, "I dunno… I think you sing quite nicely…"

"I went through a karaoke phase last year, so that might be why…"

"You know what… I think I found a sure fire way to make Katsuragi like you back…"

"I wasn't really aiming for that, but what were you thinking?"

"You should show a little more interest in his games… he'd probably be more interested in talking then…"

"Nah, I kinda doubt it… He wants to play games, not discuss them… Most likely, intruding on his game time would actually annoy him more…"

"I never thought about it like that… You actually know him pretty well, don't you?"

"T-that's common sense… I don't really know him…"

"Aww, you're so cute…"

"That's it… I don't know you…"

I then power walked ahead while I could hear her making weird baby noises behind me, most likely to annoy me. Still, that's what being friends is about…

Ooh, Ayumi's back from running early… I went over to her desk and climbed onto it.

"You know… I was thinking…" Ayumi stopped leaning back and put her arms down… "I think that today, we should kidnap all the teachers then set fire to the school while they watch…"

"I'm game… as long as you're the one tying up Nikaido… That lady is scary…"

"I'll take her if you take Kodama…"

"Deal…"

Then we shook hands and I walked back, as if nothing had happened. Well, technically, nothing had happened, but I just haven't done anything really strange with her as of late.

As I was sitting down, Mappy-chan's words came back to me. The whole 'chatting about the other person's hobby' idea wasn't bad, as long as you didn't disturb them while their in the middle of their hobby. I don't have much use of that, but I could probably tell Miyako…

Though not now… I was too lazy to move…

* * *

As it turned out, I wasn't going to lunch with Yuuta-kun… I was going to have lunch with the Katsuragis again…

Well, to put it better, the three of us were hanging out in the computer lab, while I was snacking on potato chips. There was yet another diagram of the board…

"That guy really doesn't take breaks, does he?" I commented to Ellie, who was next to me with her super sized bentou.

"Nii-sama is very hardworking," she agreed.

"Will you guys take this more seriously?" Katsuragi slammed his hand on the table.

"You're the one who's taking it too seriously, Otamega… Chip?" I offered my bag to him…

Both Katsuragis looked at me weird.

"What… Do you want something?"

"You're being awfully…"

"Nice…"

"You're helping me… that's the least I can do…" I scratched my fringe and avoided looking Katsuragi in the face, "so what's up with the diagram?"

"Umm… oh yes, this is today's plan of action… Because all the second years have gym at the same time, and we're right next to the 2-Cs, we will use that to our advantage and plan another event. So this is where the girls will be playing softball…"

He went into a discussion about the intricacies of the plan, but I tuned out. That stupid hair at the side of his head was shaking, so my eyes kept following that.

"Are you paying attention?" I snapped out of it.

"Uh… yeah…"

"What was I talking about, then?"

"Say, what's up with those numbers there?" I nodded at the diagram.

"Those are my expectations on the increase in affection points. With any luck, by the end of this event, you'll reach 40 points, then only one more event will be necessary before you can confess."

"So… uhh… what's these point stuff?" Come to think of it, he's mentioned it a couple of times before, but I've never really asked.

"It's a more logical way of organising how far a relationship has come. By linking any interaction to points, you can calculate how much the other person likes you, so you know when there's a good time to confess…"

"Ooooh…" I looked at the board, which mostly had positive values everywhere, "though why are those ones negative?"

"I guess you could call those dead ends… If you chat with Yuuta-kun there, you're more likely to lose his attention," he indicated to the negative area, "because all the girls here might distract him…"

Oh, yes… coz we're playing softball, we'll be running a lot… And Ayumi's in our class…

"Fine, so I'll chat with him elsewhere…"

Yeah… protect him from the dayun…

"So… err… how many love points do I have right now?"

"He… that's the one you're wondering about… at the moment…" he whipped a tiny pad out of his pocket and started writing… "he has 34 Affection Points towards you. He needs sixteen more before he likes you enough to want to date you…"

"Now you're just making this up…" he handed the pad over, and there was a detailed list which almost resembled one of those receipts I'd get from the convenience store, "okay, apparently you're not…"

Then I saw the little drawing he had of Yuuta-kun and I laughed.

"I'm borrowing this for a second…" I grabbed the pencil out of his hand and erased his drawing before replacing it with my own, "see, if you're drawing him, draw him right…"

When I looked up to show them the drawing, they were both looking at me strangely.

"What… it's not my fault you suck at drawing," I shrugged. Katsuragi glared and Ellie started laughing.

"So… do you have some kind of magic grocery which tells you what everything is worth?" He pulled said list from his bag, which was three pages long.

And double sided, at that…

"Nah, too long…" I tossed it on the table.

Obviously, he grumbled about how little effort I was putting in this, but I was okay with that. I actually was a little curious about it, but I didn't want him to know. Somehow, when I showed too much interest, I think that creeped them out a little…

In class, as I was spinning my pencil in between my fingers, I finally figured why those two were looking at me weirdly… I was the one who complained about catching Otamega's nerdiness… yet now, I stole his pencil and offered him snacks. I'm getting a lot more transparent with my feelings… I really hoped neither of them thought too hard about that…

* * *

The period before the second break was gym, so that meant it was Yuuta chatting time.

But for the life of me, I couldn't remember the exact details of what I was supposed to do, so I just improvised. Yuuta-kun was sitting with his friend, about 20 metres away from the batting triangle. I'd have to hit pretty hard, but maybe I can get the ball to him and use that as my chance to spark up a conversation after the game…

As it was, our team was batting first, so I was stuck waiting in the line. I pulled out a magazine so I could read while I wait… Still, for some reason, I wasn't particularly entertained, so I ended up slipping that Love Points list between the pages, so I could see what every cliché Katsuragi had considered.

Considering this list was handmade, it just reminded me how much Katsuragi gets into this stuff. Like that huge pile of scenarios that are still lying in my room, it goes to show how dedicated he is to it all… and for my sake, none the less…

But why? I haven't been particularly nice to him. In fact, he was really surprised when I offered him my crisps at lunch. Why would he want to help me find my happiness?

Could it be that he actually knows about how I'm changing the weather?

Whoa… giving a present is worth 10 points? So technically, giving five presents would be enough to get a guy to date you… That seems surprisingly simple…

Come to think of it, would the fact that I gave Katsuragi that brush at the beginning of the school year count as a present?

That small paper with Katsuragi's calculations was still here, so I flipped it over and started doing some calculations of my own.

Well, he says 'meet cute' counts five points, but what can that really mean? I mean, he considered that first meeting with Yuuta-kun one of those, and I freakin' spilt burning tea on his head… It must have something to do with how memorable the meeting is…

Come to think of it, when did I actually meet Katsuragi? I remembered his introduction… but on his way out of school, I saw him walking into a door, because he was gaming too hard. And then I tripped over him while I was climbing over his sprawled body, so I accidentally kicked him.

Well, no clue if he remembers that, but I sure did. Five points it is…

And I helped him untangle his hair, which was another six point. Untangling is helping, right?

But I was also the one who gave him those Goku spikes in the first place, so harming is negative three points…

So giving him that brush was ten points…

Every one-on-one conversation is worth three points… As of late, I've been talking to him a lot, so that must at least be twenty one points here…

But when I insulted him and called him a cockroach, he must've hated that, so minus ten.

Then physical intimacy has a two point advantage for every minute you're in contact. On Monday, he must've been lying on my lap for a good ten minutes, so that's twenty points.

Then yesterday's incident… was also worth ten points. I mean, even if I have the kind of body that a pedo would enjoy, it was still quite a personal event…

That's fifty-nine points… And I still think there's more if I thought harder about it…

My God, it's no wonder I'm in love with him… now that I think about it, I've always thought of him a little differently from any other person in my life.

"Kosaka, you're up to bat," one of my classmates called, so I quickly shut my magazine and shoved it in my bag. If I really do love Katsuragi, I'd do this event right with Yuuta-kun… Katsuragi has been working his butt off for this.

Besides, Yuuta-kun is the one I want to date… Katsuragi is great and all, but most of the time, we argue… you can't base a relationship on that… Someone like Miyako would be more suited for him anyway… She's actually all-round awesome, if you can get over how unremarkable she looks. Me though… I'm pretty much unremarkable all around…

I swung hard, but missed the ball.

Come on, I can do this… I just need to imagine this ball as something I hate… schoolbooks, early mornings… that annoying Bitch from Judo.

As the ball was flying towards me, I spotted Miyako crouched down next to Katsuragi, and I took another swing. The ball thumped against gloves.

One more try… that's all I've got here…

Gah, this is hopeless… I can't even hit the ball, let alone get it to Yuuta-kun. As I was rolling the bat in my hands, getting ready for the last ball, I noticed Katsuragi was watching me over his game.

"Go for it…" he mouthed, and I felt my heart stop. With all my might, I smashed the ball to where Yuuta-kun was.

I… I really did it!

My eyes came back down to where Katsuragi was, and he gave a faint nod of approval. A split second after that, people started screaming for me to run.

So I did… While that shot wasn't actually a home run, I made it to the third base, but I got run out before I made it to the last one. Though I had no clue how close it landed to Yuuta-kun, or whether he noticed it, but I didn't care. I was just insanely happy, even though I was out of the game.

Even if Katsuragi didn't notice the little things he's been prodding me to do, but he's seriously been helping me…

From the Omelette soba sandwiches to apologizing to Mappy-chan to this… I wonder if being with him would be like this all the time…

We'll still be friends after this, right? But I don't know if I even want that…

As I was done for now, I walked over to the edge of the 2-B playing field, where Yuuta-kun was sitting. He waved.

"That was a pretty awesome hit…" he commented.

"Yeah, but I got run out, so it wasn't really worth it," I shrugged, "still, it was worth losing if it means I get to hang out here…" somehow, when it came down to saying embarrassingly honest lines like that, I didn't mind saying it to Yuuta-kun. Probably a good thing, because if it goes according to Katsuragi's plan, I'll be dating him soon…

"Eh, I'm kinda bored here, now that Yamazaki's playing… wanna ditch?"

"Uh… alright…" I was surprised that he had taken the initiative, but I wouldn't lose this chance. Besides, ditching together must be worth… 24 points… I mean, there's quite a bit of one on one conversation…

So that's what we did… four minutes later, we were out of sight from the Phys Ed fields. Seeing that it was out of lunch time, we just sat on one of those empty benches by the Sakura trees, which unfortunately weren't really blowing out those romantic pink petals…

"Man, I guess Summer really is here," he sighed, "it's been raining so much recently…"

"I guess it has," I looked away awkwardly, "it's kind of strange…"

"Tell me about it," he suddenly swivelled out of his casual pose to look at me, "just two weeks ago, they were saying that this Summer would be the driest one yet, but since then, all it's been doing is raining…"

"Is that so?"

"Yeah… the Harvest Goddess must be really happy about that…" he sighed, "actually, I need to stop playing Harvest Moon…"

"There isn't anything wrong with playing games, you know?"

"Yeah, you're right… But people make enough fun of me without me becoming an Otaku…"

For the first time, I actually felt like I learned a little bit about Yuuta-kun. When Katsuragi was running our conversation, it just felt empty…

"But… why would people make fun of you?" a cute guy like Yuuta-kun seemed like the last guy who'd be in the receiving end of something like this.

"Well… my brother was pretty much a sports star when he graduated last year… Because I'm not interested, some classmates and teachers give me grief about that…"

He scratched his head, as if to try and stay casual, but I could tell it bothered him. I could even empathise to some extent, because I have been on the receiving end to sibling comparisons.

"Well, you like basketball… that must be something…"

"You're misunderstanding that… I like Kuroko no Basuke, but I don't care too much about the sport…"

"But don't you go hang out with the basketball club after school?"

"I do, but it doesn't matter… even if I wanted to play, my Scoliosis pretty much makes it impossible…"

"So, if you're not interested, you don't have to force yourself to do it. You should just do what you like…"

"That's nice of you to say, but real life doesn't work like that… people make fun of you if you don't act normal…"

Somehow, I just wished I could say something… anything… but I've had those exact thoughts… I couldn't disagree with them in my head, let alone with another person…

"I can't speak for everyone, but your friends wouldn't be mean if you decided to stop hanging out with them…"

"Would you support me… if I stopped pretending that I like basketball?"

This escalated kind of fast, huh?

"That's a no brainer…" I muttered, my cheeks heating up. I felt my body swivel as Yuuta-kun grabbed my shoulders to make me look at him. His face was way closer than it was before.

"O-Oi! Wha' are you doi−" the words died in my mouth, because I knew exactly what he was doing.

But, that's what I wanted, right? I can't really date Yuuta-kun without kissing him… Not to mention, this place is empty, and the mood wasn't bad… This was a surprise, but it wouldn't be a bad place for a first kiss…

I squeezed my eyes shut, but a whole new image came up in my brain: Katsuragi's face…

Despite having every reason to let Yuuta-kun kiss me, I pushed him back.

This was way too sudden… I hadn't even confessed, and we were just talking casually… I was only flirting a tad bit, so I wasn't expecting something like that at all…

In the end though, they were excuses. There was only one reason I didn't kiss him, and I didn't even realise how big a reason it was until now…

"I-I'm sorry… I-I have to go wa-water my dog…" I mumbled stupidly before climbing off the bench. He didn't try to resist.

It seemed like Phys Ed was nearly over, so I went to pick up my bag while keeping my eyes firmly on the ground. Even though it was lunch, I didn't really want to talk to anyone or go anyway, so I just went inside the first empty building I could find. And just in time, because my mind I was forcing to keep blank suddenly cleared out, and the skies broke loose.

I remember the day after that cleaning duty where I realised I liked Katsuragi… I didn't want to come to like him any more, so I started acting mean to him around then… still, that didn't help anything at all… What happened now was just a horrible reminder of the truth.

No matter how much I deny it… to myself and to others… the honest truth is that I always wanted to date Katsuragi… from the day I dusted the chalk out of his hair till now, where I'd rejected what may have been my first shot at a relationship… I was so wrong in thinking loving someone and wanting to go out with them are two separate concepts, because they really aren't.

I'm really an idiot…

And even worse, I have no clue where to go from here…

I still can't confess to Katsuragi, but I won't be happy with anyone else… I guess this is what you call a stalemate…

The door opened, and the dark room lit up. I hadn't really noticed or cared, but I think I'm in the equipment room… I'm actually sitting on piled up yoga mats. My eyes squinted in the sudden brightness.

The silhouette by the door came into view.

"Miyako?"

"Oh… there you are, Chihiro…" she smiled, "I was wondering where you went to…"

"I didn't really feel like playing, soo…" the mats shifted at she jumped next to me.

"No one really sits in a dark room unless something's wrong, so do you want to share?"

"Nothing's wrong… I was just a little sleepy…" I rubbed my eyes, as if I was waking up, but considering I was sitting up, that was a pretty bald-faced lie, "which reminds me… I actually had something to tell you this morning…"

"What's that?"

"About you and Otamega…" my words cut, because I had to think of what I wanted to say, "if you want to get close to him, you should probably learn a little more about the games he likes to play…"

"Hmm… that sounds like a reasonable idea…"

"I know, right? Me and Mappy-chan were talking about that this morning… Because he really doesn't have any friends here, I t-think you should try and b-be his friend… I'm sure after that, reaching the point of da-dating won't be dif−"

"Are you crying?" I rubbed my cheek, and it did feel a little wet.

"I-I didn't notice… I think it's the dust here…" I sneezed unconvincingly.

"That's weird… They get some of the school teams to dust here every week. There really shouldn't be any dust here…"

"w-well there is! So as I was saying, Katsura…" my voice trailed off when I realised I slipped up. I didn't call him that unless I was with Mappy.

"Stop it, will you?" Miyako's voice was harder than usual. That surprised me enough to actually look at her, and I could see her fringe covering her eyes.

"Stop what?" did I say something?

"Stop making yourself unhappy!"

"B-but how am I making myself unhappy? I'm not unhappy…"

"Yes you are! Just the fact that you're here is proof enough…" she stood up, and I noticed her brown eyes were sparkling, "It's bad enough that I have to do this, but seeing you taking it so seriously just makes me feel a hundred times worse…"

"What are you going on about?"

"I don't like Katsuragi, and I doubt I ever will, and I'm freaking tired or all this rain!"

"Wait… do you kn−"

"I don't know anything… What I do know is that you seem to like being unhappy, because you care too much about what other people think…"

"So I've been told," I replied weakly, "but what do I do then?"

"I don't know, but you should do something that makes you happy…" suddenly, a small smile appeared on her face, "that much I can trust you to do, right?"

I nodded, kinda confused. Her smile grew bigger.

"I wouldn't think too hard about everything, because memories are fickle things… Just do as you want…"

Seeing that her apparent work was done, she awkwardly picked her umbrella which was by the door.

"Also…" I could barely pick up her voice, because the back of her head was facing me, "I'm sorry…"

She took off into the rain, leaving the door open and the rain drummed on the linoleum tiles.

For the life of me, I couldn't understand what happened in the last five minutes. Still, it was apparent what she thought I should do…

I should tell Katsuragi how I feel…

I guess it's no surprise she figured that out…

Still, I have no clue what to do…

My phone started ringing, so I flipped it open.

"Where are you!?" the voice sounded really familiar, but it just made no sense. Why would he call me?

I pulled the phone back to actually look at the screen… Otamega!?

"Sorry, you have the wrong number," I shut the clamshell harder than usual in my haste to cut the call, but I was freaking out. Why does he even have my number?

I know I was a creepy stalker who got his number from his sister's phone, but he doesn't like me…

But most likely, he got it from Ellie... if he ever needed to talk about this confession thing.

I opened my phone, and it started ringing again. It was Otamega again.

"You know I can recognise your voice," he said angrily.

"Fine… what do you want?"

"Where did you go with Yuuta-kun?" I sighed… I can't explain that to him.

"I ditched him… I had to go to the bathroom, so he wandered off elsewhere…" I heard him groan.

"That was useless… Luckily, there's one more event left, so I'll tell you what to say…"

"N-no… you don't have to come with me… just give me some lines…" I guess I'll have to go hang out with Yuuta-kun again, which sucks ass, but if Katsuragi heard that I rejected him trying to kiss me, there'd be Hell to pay.

"Fine…" he groaned, "just meet me by the gym after school… Bye−"

"Wait… I wanted to ask something…"

"What is it?"

"How many Love Points does it safely take to say that the other person is in love with you?"

"I've never really thought of that, but I guess I'd say 75 points is a good point. Usually, it takes one big event to cross the line…"

"Alright, that's all I need… bye…"

The call cut, and I just stared at my screen hopelessly. Considering I was only 16 points away from that line, there should have been some kind of inclination that Katsuragi likes me a little bit, but there's nothing…

There's no point even entertaining the thought of asking him out… Clearly, he's an exception to his own rules… or his rules just suck…

Either way, I actually put myself in a really bad position… Yuuta-kun is at least interested enough to actually want to kiss me, and he is cute. By dating him, at some point I could learn to like him, and I would get over Katsuragi. That's what I want, right?

But why is he helping me? I can't complain that he's a jerk, and that's just annoying…

Obviously, my head was at crossroads, so over-thinking it would be stupid. I just gave up and hoped the problem would solve itself in time…

* * *

After school, we met up outside the gym as planned. Ellie was off doing something else, so me and Katsuragi were crouched by the wall, not looking suspicious at all.

"Hey…Do we have to do this today?" I asked, even though it was pretty redundant… It's pretty clear that this'll continue until I confess to Yuuta-kun.

"There's no time for resting during a conquest. So now, you need to go to the gym and practice shooting a basketball…"

Oh, so it's kind of like yesterday's plan, before I bailed on them… I practice shooting than Yuuta-kun helps me in the hands-on fashion… It's too bad that I'm actually quite decent at shooting… not to mention, if Yuuta-kun was speaking the truth, there'd be no point of asking for his help anyway.

I don't get why Katsuragi is so hell-bent on seeing this through… I mean, even his eyes are dead focussed on that sheet he's reading from. What do you even call his eyes? Chocolate? Nah, that's too yummy… I'm feeling kind of hungry now…

"Oi… are you listening?"

Oh… err… yes…

Gah, I can't believe I got distracted by his pretty eyes. My head fell back into my hands.

"Oh… Sorry about that…" he was still pretty ticked off at my laughing.

"I'll run through the explanation again. Listen properly this time…"

Yeah… as if I had any intention of doing that… Still, now that I think about it, the rain's actually quite sort today. It's more like the small drops which fall on leaves before scattering.

Actually, it's kind of like that movie I was watching on TV yesterday. I guess in celebration for the rain nowadays, they had some kind of documentary on that…

Well, some documentary it was… it didn't mention any Weiss as a cause of rain, but it was still chock full of random information. The word 'umbrella' actually comes from Latin, which was stolen from the Greeks, but no one really cares.

"Ya know… I was watching TV yesterday, and they said that Americans almost always use umbrellas when it rains… must be annoying…"

Eh, I was just saying that… I doubt he'll be interested, but at least he'll shut up about Yuuta-kun…

"What are you talking about?"

"What? Like I said, Americans…" my eyes drifted up when I noticed that the noise here was slightly different. There were footsteps, and it wasn't Ellie.

In fact, the sound of the rain had been so loud that I hadn't even noticed those two girls approaching. Obviously, I didn't want to be seen by them, so I stood up and faced towards the wall. Because it was raining, and they were also talking about some TV thing, they didn't notice.

I watched them walk away.

It's kind of weird. As they're talking about whatever love story they'd been watching, technically, I am in one… It's just confusing and mostly one-sided. Love stories aren't really what they're shown as in TV…

If TV world was real, I'd probably be able to speak my mind, instead of talking about stupid TV shows which don't matter… I'd probably close my umbrella and just enjoy being in this rain.

It's weird… maybe because it's my feelings which are fuelling this weather, or maybe just because of how the rain scatters as it hits stuff and looks like dull pieces of glitter, but for some reason, I don't hate this weather.

"The rain isn't that bad… Every now and then…"I looked up at the grey clouds with the streaking white rain…

Yeah, I guess if my emotions had to become something, I'm glad it's the rain… I'm probably not going to feel happy anytime soon, so I may as well get used to this. I crouched back down and turned to Katsuragi, because no one was around anymore.

"What are you talking about TV and America?" I looked sourly at him, "none of that matters!"

Well, maybe not to you, but you can still get some good stuff on TV…

"What? You don't watch TV?" it occurred a bit late, but that would explain a bit… "So how do you learn about new fads or what's good to eat?" Dating sims won't give you those, no matter how hard you look…

"I don't need real world information! Every monitor in my house is for gaming!"

And yes… this is why he is Otamega… He helps people score dates when he's not gaming on his hundred thousand screens…

That's what he's trying to do now…

"Oh, yes… speaking of the rain…" my words cut off as his face rose. My eyes followed him as he stood up.

"You're confessing your love tomorrow, after school. Got it?" He said coldly. I guess small talk time is over now… I hate how he's looking down on me.

If I was comparing his eyes to chocolate, now they're more like that hard baking chocolate that no one ever uses…

I nodded… I think just letting him go on would be the easier option, because I don't think he wants to hear the mob character's voice anyway…

So dutifully, I listened to his explanation of what would be happening in the gym, after which, I went in. Luckily, I managed to assure him that I could deal fine without him reading my lines to me, so he waited outside.

The minute I saw Yuuta-kun, I felt my stomach clench in dread. I had absolutely no clue how to respond about what happened in the morning. I mean, he just tried to kiss me with no warning, so I wasn't unjustified in how I reacted.

Still… do I apologize?

I probably should, huh…

I mean, should I try and patch things up with Yuuta-kun, or just give up on this…

"Ah… Kosaka…" I heard Yuuta-kun call. I sighed and accepted my fate… Let's just get this over and done with…

"Hi, Yuuta-kun," I greeted cheerfully.

"Yeah…" his friend walked off, so Yuuta-kun was alone… "so how are you?"

I noticed he was almost wringing the ball in his hand… Clearly he was as nervous as me.

Somehow, I don't think he deserved that… I'm just the one who made it awkward in the first place. What can I do to fix this?

"I'm great!" I almost cackled, before slapping him on the arm, "how about you!?"

Oh great… so my head went into manic insane mode…

"I'm… uh… fine…" he rubbed his arm, "I just expected you were mad… after what happened…"

"Of course I'm not mad… My dog really had to be watered… There's no way he's going to grow big and strong if he keeps running away from that hose…"

"But you're at school… How can you water him from here?" His face started showing more and more confusion, and at that point, I finally figured out what I could do.

I should just keep up with this… No one would want to date a crazy person…

"You know… it just started raining after I left… that's how I water him!" I shrugged, as if that was the most normal response ever.

"So… you're the one who's making it rain?"

"Of course!"

Still, I wasn't lying about that…

"My friend, Umiko helps with that… Right, Umiko?" I gestured at the air next to me, "yep, he said 'yes'."

Inside, my brain was screaming at my body for making a fool of myself, but I didn't stop. This time, I'll end this for good. When Katsuragi asks, I'll just tell me Yuuta-kun rejected me. Then everything will go back to normal, and I can do something a little more productive with my life… like studying…

"Er… are you alright?" his head cocked, and it almost looked like his hair jumped. Clearly, he takes good care of his hair, considering the volume.

"Never been better!"

"Look," he groaned, "I jumped the gun during P.E, and I'm sorry about that…"

"About what?"

"Well, I tried to kiss you…"

"Whaaaat!? I thought you wanted to kiss Umiko… Umiko says he really liked it…"

"I'm not gay!" he said suddenly, even surprising my kooky self.

"But I didn't say that…" my voice turned back to its normal pitch, and Yuuta-kun's face turned a bright red.

"Lo-look… pretend I didn't say that… The fact is…"

"That the sky is really green, and our eyes have been lying to us… I know, right?"

"No, what I'm saying is…"

"That cats are mean, because they always try to scratch Umiko when we're walking home…"

"Stop that, will you?" I zipped my mouth, like I was a little kid. I knew interrupting was plain rude, but I think that if he finishes this sentence, it'll be a lot harder to play the fool.

"Look, do you want to go out with me sometime?"

Yeah… that was what I was worried about.

"Ya-you can't like me… I'm insane…"

"Well, I don't deny that, but I still want to go out with you…"

"But I have a freaking imaginary friend…"

"That doesn't matter…"

"But…"

"Look, you're the first girl in ages who's shown any interest in me without confessing right on the spot. Besides, I really want a girlfriend…"

"Why do you want a girlfriend?"

"So people can stop saying that I'm gay!"

While he said it without thinking, I suddenly felt a huge urge of affection towards Yuuta-kun. I guess even cute popular guys have their own issues to deal with other people watching and spreading rumours about them.

"I don't really think that's a good reason to want to date me…" I sighed, "Unless you like me, you're just kidding yourself…"

"But I'd come to like you in my own time if we dated…"

"Like I said, you're kidding yourself…" I took a deep breath and continued, "You live for yourself, so you can just start dating whenever you want to… Let people talk, because the ones who actually care about you don't mind how you live your life. Everyone else just doesn't matter…"

"You seriously think so?"

"Of course… it doesn't matter who you like or don't like… Just wait till you'd actually want to go out with someone, and I'm sure they'll accept…"

"So I guess you're rejecting me, right?"

"Yeah… Umiko doesn't really want me dating anyone anyway…"

"Ah well…" he shrugged and threw the ball down, "I guess I'm done here then."

He went off to grab his bag, so I just leaned against the wall, a tad bit happier. At least I'd cleared this obligation, and even if it was something small, I helped Yuuta-kun a little bit. Now, all that's left is dealing with Katsuragi…

"_What the hell was that!?"_

Gaah! Please tell me it's because I thought if him that I'm hearing his voice…

Still… he's not around here… I must have imagined it…

"Kosaka," Yuuta-kun was back with his bag, "I just wanted to say thanks… Though why do you look like that?"

"Err… Umiko said something scary… Don't mind him…"

"Oh…" he turned to look at the empty space next to me, "don't bully Kosaka, alright?" He said good-naturedly. In a way, it kinda made me happy that he was playing along for my sake.

"Anyway, I'm gonna go head off home. Thanks for helping me get my head straight… And thanks to Umiko as well."

"I'm glad," I gave him a smile.

"_Yeah, good for you…"_

Yeah, that sarcastic voice was definitely Katsuragi. Man, this is a seriously bad development! It was one thing to tell him I got rejected, but I was the one who threw all his hard work away. I can't even imagine how mad he is.

So with any luck, he'd be watching Yuuta-kun leave, so I treaded back a meter before making a mad dash to the gym entrance.

"Chihiro-saan…" I didn't stop, so she ran alongside of me, "why are you running?"

I only stopped when I was out of sight from the entrance, and I was behind a tree. I was breathing a little fast, but it seemed like for the time being, I'd averted that horrible conversation. Ellie offered me the Styrofoam cup she had in her hand. I took a sip.

"It's kind of cold, isn't it?"

"Well, you ran inside before I could give this to you…" she pouted.

"Yeah, sorry about that… It's fine though…" I hooked my umbrella to one of the branches and leaned against the tree, so I could drink comfortably.

"So why were you running away from there?" I coughed into my glass.

"Uh… I kinda threw a ball at some guy. He's on the warpath now."

"Oh… so how is it with Yuuta-kun?

"It's good, I guess," I warmed my fingers against the glass, even though it wasn't that hot.

"Oh, Nii-sama will be happy, then…"

I scoffed. Oh no, he won't… In fact, just the fact that I ran off pretty much guarantees I'm going to die today at the hands of the huge cockroach guy… creepy…

"Oh look, Nii-sama's calling…" Ellie looked at her ringing phone, "how do I answer it?"

"It's the button with the red phone," I said frantically. If she answers, she'll tell Katsuragi I'm here.

"Hello…" she spoke into her phone, "Kami-nii-sama… Can you hear me?"

"Oi, Elsie!" I jumped as Katsuragi's head appeared out of nowhere, "Why did you cut my call?"

Oh shiiiit…

Then he looked down.

"Elsie…" his voice was in a monotone, "could you bring us some more tea?"

Nooooooo… don't go Ellie… If he kills me, I need a witness…

"Sure, Kami-nii-sama…" she then walked of, with no clue of the fact that she left me to my doom.

He watched her as she disappeared. And me… I just started inching away again.

"And you… Don't you dare move!"

"Right…"

My God, does he look piiiiiiissssssed…

"Stand up!" I scrambled back to my feet.

"Look…" he ran a hand through his fringe, "I've been a nice person, right?"

I nodded.

"Yeah… I've been enduring your bad attitude all week…"

"Hey−"

"No, I don't want to hear this from you! How could you reject him?"

I kept quiet. He didn't want to hear it, after all…

"You know, I expect a reply here…"

"I don't know… According to what you said, I was going to confess him tomorrow…"

"That doesn't mean you reject him because he asked you out a day early!"

"But he didn't want to go out with me either… I did the right thing…"

"No you didn't… He didn't say a single thing! You just made that up!"

"Then why did he agree with me?"

For a second, his eyes furrowed.

"Either way, why the hell were you acting like a four year old?"

"I… thought it'd be fun…" I looked at my nails.

"Yeah… I'm sure guys like when their potential girlfriends talk about their imaginary friends!"

"Still, why are you complaining? In the end, it turned out alright…" Maybe he was a little bit creeped out, but by the end, he was even playing along.

"Nooo! That didn't turn out alright! You just wrecked a week of hard work!" he flexed his fingers, as if he was trying to contain his temper.

"Look, I'm sorry, but in the end, it wasn't meant to be… I didn't choose it like that…"

"Oh yes you did! Like what he was saying about PE…" I could feel the embarrassment at being caught lying trickling into my cheeks, "like I thought… You two were off doing this and that!"

"Don't put it like that! We were just chatting, then he tried kissing me…"

His eyes widened.

"Whhhhy, Chihiro? That was the perfect time to reach the ending… Why didn't you just let him?"

Somehow, only at that point did I realise that I'd hit a turning point… There's no answer here which won't lead him to what I didn't want him to know. I should be careful now.

"Well, I was surprised, and it came out of nowhere… Am I just supposed to take that?"

"If you like him, then YES! It may have been a forceful event, but you guys were far enough…" his thoughts just trailed off, and I could almost see his brain connecting two and two together. I buried my head into my hands.

"Ohhh… So that's what it is…" I nodded my head slightly.

I guess, after a month of liking him, I've been found out… I knew that I've been treading on thin ice since the start of this week, but I never really expected we'd ever talk about this kind of stuff. But now, I'm basically in a corner, and the only way I can get out it being truthful.

"Lo-look, don't get mad about it, but I−"

"You haven't had your first kiss, have you?"

I felt my already hot face heat up a little bit more.

"Wha-why are you asking me that!?"

"That's why you didn't kiss Yuuta-kun… because you were too nervous…"

"Well… no… uh…" I guess he didn't get it. It wasn't really that obvious though, now that I think about it.

"Well, look at little Miss High-and-mighty… I'm the Otamega and the cockroach, but you really have no right to make fun of me…"

"Look, I might be like that−"

"Well, I'm sick and tired of this now… Screw that Loo−"

His voice cut off. Probably because I pressed my mouth against his.

* * *

**Waah!**

***CRASH!***

**Aww, dammit! I broke the ice cannon now!**

**In any case, I know I ended this horribly, and you'll will kill me in my sleep, which is why I posted Chapter 34. Please continue reading... After that, feel free to kill me...**


	34. And so, I confessed for real

**Aah... is that a little speck I see in the horizon?**

**Oh wait... that's canon...**

**Anyway, before you guys curse me to my grave, please give this a go...**

* * *

I'd be lying if I said there weren't some things in my life I've regretted…

I regretted walking out on the road that one time without hearing the roar of that motorcycle…

I regretted trying to save that grumpy cat out of the tree, because he was too damn heavy…

I regretted going to Ayumi's birthday party a few years back that ultimately ended in me mistakenly pantsing Ayumi's older brother…

And now, to add on that, what I'm doing now…

Yet somehow, this was different from all those…

Yes… I knew I would regret this once I opened my eyes, but for the five seconds before that, I was almost blissfully happy, because I finally got what I wanted.

When I pulled away, with my stomach making happy flips, Katsuragi's eyes were wide open in disbelief, and his face was probably pink as mine.

While my heart was singing in joy, my brain was screaming at me, because it knew exactly what was coming after this, and it won't be good.

'Run, you idiot!'

"Uhh… so-sorry… I ha-have to go wa-walk my plants now…"

He was still too stupefied to move, but my survival instinct had kicked in already, so I ran.

No matter that I left my umbrella there and my bag was still inside my class, I just made a beeline sprint to the school entrance.

Still, as I was running, I could see the trees and the rain whiz past in a burst of colour. Not just greys, like how it had been all day, but the other colours were bright and vivid too. It felt like my brain was going to burst looking at those, but I couldn't afford stopping. I'm gonna die if I stop!

Damn! Why did I think that it was a good idea to do that?

Oh wait… I didn't! My body just decided to move on its own and screw shit up, as usual!

Suddenly, I felt something around my wrist, tugging me back. Because I couldn't see it, and it was too tight to pull off, I just struggled against it, while my eyes darted around, trying to find him.

"Will you stop running already!?" A panting Katsuragi appeared behind me, holding onto whatever was on my arm. I tried to yank whatever material was holding me down, but it wouldn't yield. Even though he was way more exhausted than me, I couldn't do anything to stop him getting closer.

"Let go of me!"

"Not until you tell me why there's still a gap in your heart!" he shouted back. Somehow, the fact that he mentioned that surprised me enough that I stopped struggling. Gap… I've heard that before…

"Look… can you just explain what's going on?"

I didn't reply. I just looked at my shoes.

"What were you even trying to accomplish with that?"

Nothing… I had a go trying to untie whatever was on my wrist.

"Will you stop being such a real!?"

"And what's wrong with that!?" my eyes shot up in irritation, and only then did I notice how intensely he was watching me. My eyes drifted to his lips, before I forced myself to look away. Just that sight was doing weird stuff to my brain.

"There's plenty wrong with that! You're irrational… you don't follow the set route and even when you do, you do such a half-assed job that it doesn't move along anyway!"

"What are you going on about plans?" I glared at him, but it was getting a bit difficult to hold it in place. He was speaking the truth, after all.

"The plan!" he groped the air, as if it made a stronger statement, "the plan to get you and Yuuta-kun together… Since Tuesday, I've working my butt off to complete your romance!"

"Well, I didn't tell you to do that! I was perfectly happy chasing Yuuta-kun in my own way!"

"Well, obviously! You've been throwing wrenches everywhere!"

"Well, I'd rather do that then go along with your ridiculous plan… For one, your stupid lines were nothing like me. If he fell for me like that, he'd just be plain disappointed when we actually started dating…"

"That…" his voice trailed off, and I felt a little smug that I'd been right…

"Well, would you be saying lines for me the whole time when we're in a relationship!?" his eyebrows scrunched as he tried to think of an answer.

"Well, that's why I let you take the reins when you talked to him today, but you just kept screwing up…"

"So I did! I don't have to answer to you!"

"Fine! But you still owe me an explanation about what happened there!" He shoved his finger in the direction of gym, where we were at before. I tried to pull of the freaking invisible thing on my hand, because I had no clue how to answer that. It wasn't like the answer was that difficult to infer anyway.

"Just forget about it, will you!?" He ignored that.

"I don't know if I struck a nerve there, but you didn't have to kiss me to prove a point."

"That's not why I did it, you know!"

"So what was it? Were you trying to get me to shut up?"

Wow, is this guy dense on purpose? If he plays so many romance games, he should know what my reasoning was…

"It's because I love you, you idiot!"

Wow… I really said it…

His face turned pink, bringing another weird urge for me just to stretch towards him. He was less than a meter from me anyway.

"Bu-but… wa-what? Why!?"

"Do I really have to give you a reason!?" he scratched his head.

"We-well… You don't have to… It just doesn't make any sense…"

"Join the club…" I pulled at my wrist again, "I've explained it now! Can I go home?" I think I've had enough now.

"If I let you go home now, the ending will go even further…"

"I don't give a damn about the ending! I want to go home!"

"No way!" he grabbed my wrist to stop me from messing with that bind thing, "until I can understand what's going on, we're not going to get anywhere!"

"But I don't want to get anywheeeere…"

I know it's been some time since I've whined seriously, but I really just wanted to go home. Nothing I could do would change the situation, anyway.

"What the hell's up with your half-assed attitude!?" his voice was angrier than before, "if you actually like me, don't you want to be with me?"

"Obviously!" I snapped my hand away, "but it's plain ridiculous, because I know you'll reject me!"

Only then, did I realize that only some the water on my face was rain. I was pretty much drenched. I was glad that my fringe was wet enough that he wouldn't notice I was crying.

"Wa-why do you think I'd reject you?"

"Be-because you're the one who keeps pushing me at Yuuta-kun! And you think I'm a mob character!"

The only sound was the rain, because it seemed like I'd made him speechless.

"Look… I know you don't really care about me, but please just let me leave with whatever dignity I have…" I said softly. He looked at me pitifully before untying whatever was on my wrist.

"Let me just try one thing before you go…"

Somehow, I felt I could at least hear him out. He pulled his backpack off his back and put it on in front of him, so he could get into it more easily. It kind of amused me how much of a nerd he could be.

He pulled out one of those small whiteboards and a marker and started drawing. I guess it's another one of his diagrams…

"Can you fill this out?"

What is this… an interview?

He handed the board and marker to me. It was identical to that Yuuta-kun profile, with the seven circles representing thoughts, but this time, it was me… I think?

"You still suck at drawing…"

"It's not the point…" for once, his voice didn't get angry at that jibe, "I want to know what you're thinking about… I think this whole week, I've basically been ignoring you, but now, I want to know what the hell is going on in your brain…"

As I looked at the board, where the ink wasn't smudging, despite the rain, I realized my brain wasn't working.

Usually, I'd be worried about the people who were walking outside, who could see us chatting outside… or food… or my friends… or something…

I handed the board back.

"I'm sorry… I can't think of anything right now…"

"Nothing?"

"Yeah…"

"Fine… I'm sorry that this was a failure…"

Even though Katsuragi was as soaked at I was, there was something sad in his expression as well… Like he'd failed me or something… I felt guilty that I was the one who burdened him with my feelings.

"You don't have to feel bad about it, you know…" I shook my hands, "I've liked you for ages… in a way, I finally have it off my chest now, so you don't have to apologize…"

"Even still, I wrecked this with Yuu… wait, how long is ages?"

"I guess… a month?" I felt my face heating up again.

"Wha'!" His mouth opened, "I thought you only started liking me this week, because we've chatting so much and I saw you changing…"

My eyes narrowed behind my dripping fringe. His reaction was really weird… I mean, he said he's kissed other girls… Why was he so surprised?

"Noooooo!" I shook my hands, "o-okay… I've been really good at hiding it, but be-being with you all week was the final nail in the coffin…"

"I guess this really is my fault…"

"I told you it isn't. I'll just deal with it−"

"Not that!"

"Then what?"

"It's the fact that I'm a sexy beast…"

"Can I have that board back for a second?" his eyebrow cocked up, but he handed it over.

"You idiot!" I whacked him on the head softly while laughing, "there, you can have that back…"

He rubbed his wet hair, laughing as well.

It was like all the awkwardness inside me started melting with that, especially because he started laughing as well.

I stopped regretting it as well…

"Ne… Katsuragi?"

"Yes?"

"I'm kinda glad…"

"That you told me?"

"Yeah… that… and that you were the first one I kissed…" I mumbled the last part, but he heard it well enough to smile.

"Then I guess that's fine…"

I looked up at the sky, and it seemed like the sun was trying to break through the clouds. I was really happy… The last couple of days have been sweet torture, so to know that was over… It was such a relief…

"In any case, where do we go with this?" he asked. Probably a decent question…

"I guess you let me down easy, then I'll move on…"

"You really have no confidence in this?"

"I don't want to hear this from you… For someone who plays dating sims all the time, you seemed way too surprised by my confession," his face looked a tad redder in the weak sun rays.

"I guess… this is the first time I've gotten such a direct one… and from someone who I thought hated my guts, none the less…"

Considering that I just randomly confess to guys, and he plays games where he asks out girls… we're both really clumsy and uncertain about this…

We are pretty similar, after all…

"You know…" I put my arms around my back, "it doesn't matter if you reject me or not…"

"Are you asking what my answer is, Chihiro?"

"Well… I don't really have any present for you, but yeah… Would you go out with me?"

He started wiping his wet glasses.

"I'm disappointed that there are no cookies… But as for how I feel… I think my answer would have to be−"

A bright flash came in front of my eyes, and for a second, I imagined myself in my dream room. Except this time, there was only a large set of glaring electric blue eyes.

I snapped out of it, so I was back on the empty soccer field. Katsuragi was sitting on the wet grass, dazed.

"Katsuragi?"

"Kosaka?"

A horrible feeling came to my stomach. Wasn't he calling me Chihiro just before?

"Nii-samaaa… Chihiro-saaan!" I looked up, and Ellie was running in with those Styrofoam cups of tea, "why are you both wet?"

"Well, it was raining before…" I replied.

"But both of you had umbrellas before…"

Oh yeah… mines is still on that tree we were at before.

"I don't know…" he looked at the black umbrella, which was hooked on one of the straps, "what were we even talking about?"

Ellie looked at me, expectantly.

"Uhh… don't you remember?" his eyes screwed like he was trying to remember something far off. He shook his head.

Wait, what's going on?

"Could it have been that you were giving Chihiro-san tips on Yuuta-kun?" Ellie asked. His face was still confused.

"Yuuta-kun?"

"You know… you were helping Chihiro-san confess to him."

"Oh… I remember that… but Kosaka kept ignoring that plan and going elsewhere…"

Wait… did he forget everything which happened now?

Katsuragi stood up and dusted the grass off his wet uniform.

"Chihiro-saan, do you know what happened?"

"Yo-you were telling me about tomorrow's confession plan…"

The clouds started coming back out.

"Alright… what did I tell you again?"

"Eeehh… I wasn't paying attention…" my voice was cheerful, but I could feel those tears coming back up. Why the hell did he forget? And why couldn't I just tell him the truth? It's not like I was scared of being rejected, right?

His eyes narrowed.

"Why do we have this discussion every time!?" He pulled out his sheet, "Now listen properly…"

"You know what… I'm going home… We can discuss this tomorrow…"

And without saying another word, I walked back to the gym. Obviously, he had no reason to chase after me this time, but it didn't stop me from glancing back a couple of times.

Though seriously… Why did he forget? Not that I had really been paying attention at the time, but that may have been the most gut-wrenching, heart-pounding, mind-numbing (though not in a bad way) thing I've ever experienced in my life. I'd never forget that…

Still, even though I'd kissed him without thinking, I don't think I regretted it. I didn't regret confessing to him either, because he'd been so nice and un-Otamega like about it.

What I did regret was not telling him the second time. It just surprised me, and I wasn't sure if my heart could survive another ordeal like that…

The first time, it was guts which got me through, but I didn't have it the second time.

Still... Now that I think about it, I didn't get a definite reply. Before, I was certain that I didn't have a chance, but just the way he'd been speaking… maybe he was considering it…

Gaah! Why did he pass out before he could give me an answer?

Those eyes…

I stopped walking. Those eyes had appeared in that white room, just as he passed out… That can't be a coincidence, right?

Nee-san… could she know?

I pulled out my phone, which had thankfully been inside my bag and dialed my sister.

She didn't answer. Not the first time of the second.

When I reached my house, a weird thought occurred to me. When I left the house this morning, I had no clue what was going to happen today… Now that I'm back, things have changed quite a lot… I nearly kissed a guy before acting like an idiot so he'd reject me… Then after that, I actually did kiss someone… and it was Katsuragi… who I could never imagine kissing in the first place.

But still, nothing's changed… I'm still asking Yuuta-kun out tomorrow, and Katsuragi still hates me…

I pulled up my sleeve, where the skin was still a bit pink from struggling. That was basically the only proof I had…

My fingers gravitated to my mouth, and I actually noticed that it was a little chapped. I hope Katsuragi didn't notice that…

Gah, I need to get rid of this blush before I go in…

I was actually kind of lucky. For once, it seemed like everyone was out doing their own stuff, so I was free to do whatever I want…

So I went to take a nap. I didn't even realize I was so tired, until I saw my bed. Still, I took of my half dry uniform and put on pyjamas. I sure don't need to get sick now…

* * *

"'_Sup…"_

"_You!" I sighed. Both the bike and the scenery was no where to be seen, so I just sat on the ground, "did you do something to Katsuragi?"_

"_Well, yeah…" the little kid jiggled the bobbles on her hat. For the first time, I noticed that, even though she kind of looked like me, her eyes were the lightning blue I'd seen earlier, "you're the one who asked for that…"_

"_No I didn't…"_

"_Yes you did… Didn't you tell him to 'forget about it'?"_

_Suddenly, it occurred to me… I had said that, right at the beginning…_

"_Wait... how much did he forget?"_

_"Whatever I could get my hands on... His old memories of you were way easier to remove, but I also dealt with your confession..."_

_"You did this for me?"_

"_Yeah… I could see the regret within you, so I granted your wish, like I said I would…"_

_I couldn't stop myself. I started shaking the kid. This little brat was getting in the way!_

"_Stop it!"_

* * *

"Stop it, Chihiro!"

My eyes snapped open, and it seemed that I was on the receiving end of that shaking.

"You know, every time you touch that Weiss, it gets a little stronger!"

"Since when?"

"I told you that three chapters ago…"

What… she must be on drugs again…

"Fine… whatever… I won't try touching again…"

I rolled over, but I didn't hear her leave.

"Did something happen today?" I peered over the blanket.

"Wha-what makes you think that?"

"You seem… more mellow today…"

"Tha-that's just your imagination…" I pulled it high enough that she couldn't see my face.

"You know that makes you sound even more suspicious…"

"Go away, will you!"

* * *

**Alright, I'll admit I went really far... I just didn't want to write canon, because I find those kind of stories boring.**

**The thing is that now, before I started this fanfiction, I knew I wanted to include a confession. How much you enjoyed it, I won't really know, so feel free to drop a review.**

**Anyway, despite that, I'll try to bring this back to normalcy... Till then, please continue to endure...**

**Next chapter will be the last one before the epilogue.**


	35. And so, I went on a ship

**Alright! Last official Chapter!**

**This, for maybe the first time ever, includes more of canon than my brain running off on its own. I hope you enjoy it...**

* * *

I was sitting in the kitchen silently, when my mother came in. It was around seven when she got back from work.

"Chihiro. How rare to see you downstairs after school…"

I waved my spoon at her. She hated when I talked with food in my mouth.

"I just felt like a snack," I answered, once I'd swallowed my spoonful of pudding.

"Alright…" even though Oka-san doesn't like sweet food, she pulled a pudding cup from the fridge and sat opposite me, "So how was your day?"

Hmm… I went to school, nearly scored with some guy, but rejected him while making a fool of himself… I then kissed another guy, and confessed, but he forgot… and now he hates me…

"Same old, same old," I shrugged, "went to school… did work… came home… ate stuff…"

"Don't you get bored like that?" she pulled the wrapper off and cleaned it with her spoon.

"Kinda… it's fine, though… So how was your day?"

"Alright… auditing… taxes… that kind of stuff…"

"Sounds even more boring than my day…" She smiled.

"If you do what you enjoy, then both the good and the bad are worth it…"

Hmm… Oka-san seems a lot friendlier than usual… what's up with that?

"So is there anything you do at school which you'd call fun?"

"Nope…" the work's boring, I'm not in any clubs… I like my friends, but recently, I'm actually having more negative feelings about them than anything.

"How about at home?"

TV… that's boring… school work… even more boring… Nee-san is just bothering me at how vague she always is, and Chitose seems surprisingly busy, considering that he can't even play soccer now…

Actually… I lie… when I'm in a bad mood, he also avoids me…

"It's alright…"

"How about club activities?"

"It's alright…" the go-home club doesn't do much though… Not that she knows…

I know I'm always bored, yet somehow, now that I'm listing it, I don't actually do much… It's no surprise…

"How's Ayumi-chan?"

"She's doing fine… just today, we were plotting to blow up the school building…" I peeked up, to see how she'd react.

"School does suck…" she laughed, "I'll fund your plan, if you want…" she then laughed at how shocked I looked.

"I can be a good mother sometimes… Especially now, when it seems like you need one…"

Ha-has she actually noticed… how things have been in the house?

"Wha-what makes you think that?"

"You don't really come down anymore, and the house is dead quiet… I've been wondering if everything was alright…"

I looked down at my mostly empty pudding cup.

"I guess I'm alright…"

"I'm sure you are…" she said sarcastically, "so do you want to tell me what's bothering you?"

Somehow, I did… Oka-san knows a lot… But I didn't really want to tell her what happened.

"Say… I was having this race with Ayumi…" I guess that kind of situation could fit.

"I was really close to winning but before I could, I tripped and hurt myself… she said we could do it again once my leg was better…"

"Is your leg alright?" she glanced at my pajama pants.

"It's hypothetical… I haven't hurt my leg… What I wanted to ask is whether you think I should take her up on that rematch, or just take solace that I nearly beat her, and just call it quits…"

"Well, do you think you'll win?"

Hell no…

The door opened, and Oto-san walked in.

"What are you guys talking about?"

"Whether Chihiro should have a race with Ayumi-chan…" he sat down next to me and put his bag on the side.

"Do you race with Ayumi-chan often?"

"Never… It was a fluke that I got so close to beating her too…"

"So… you're not confident that you'll win…" Oka-san concluded. I nodded.

"The answer's pretty clear… Don't race…"

"Go for it!"

Both of my parents' voices came at the same time.

"What do you mean 'Go for it?'" Oka-san asked.

"She may just win… Failing is a stupid reason to not try!" Oto-san's voiced boomed, and his fist fell on the table with a bang.

"But if she's just going to lose, it'll kill her confidence, and then she'd never be able to win later," Oka-san countered…

"Even if she loses, she'd know she at least tried… That experience is worth more than anything…"

"If failure is the most likely option, it's better to train until she's more confident. You fight the final boss once you've beaten all the mooks, right?"

"Still, at least if you die trying to face the final boss, you know what you're fighting, so you know how strong you have to be…"

"In that case, why haven't you finished _Pokemon Diamond_?"

I finished my pudding cup and skittered out. Whenever my parents fight about Pokemon, you do not want to get involved… It's the silliest thing, and even mum starts getting passionate about that.

Still, you can tell they're my parents… Over the week, I've considered both their arguments, which is why I'm still stuck.

Still… Suppose I could win…

But there's no way I could win…

"Chihiro… you can take a bath…" Nee-san was rubbing her long wet hair.

Eh… may as well…

"Thanks… though don't go into the kitchen…" she looked confused, "Pokemon fight…" she nodded understandingly once it dawned to her.

When I was back in my room, I noticed my father was sitting on my bed, moving Gyuu-kun's arms. I sat at the desk.

"You know your scenario… is it a metaphor for something else?"

"Yeah… kinda… it fits just as well, anyway…"

"I suspected so… something seems a little bit different about you today…"

"Oka-san did mention I haven't come down recently…" I looked away.

"Not that… you actually seem a bit happier today… it was like your face was glowing…"

"Tha-that's just your imagination…" I all but hid my face in my towel. He scoffed.

"I guess nearly beating Ayumi made you quite happy…"

"I guess… a little bit… but I couldn't go the whole way…"

"Yeah… reality kind of sucks like that… Still, I think you should try again… if you were close, I think you can definitely make it now…"

"Thanks… for the vote of confidence…" He ruffled my hair.

"You'll have to believe in yourself though…" he ended off before leaving the room… "You should introduce him to us, when you can…"

I turned around, but the door was shut already.

Damn, I totally forgot how perceptive he was… I felt the entire blood content of my body seep up to my head.

Then I heard loud crying outside my room.

"MY BABY'S GROWN UP!"

And somehow, my body managed to produce even more blood to flow up to my head…

No… ignore him… Oka-san knows he overreacts, but if I try to stop him, she'll know his crying isn't baseless.

I took a deep breath and turned on my phone's mp3 player to some song I didn't particularly care about. Just so there was some kind of background noise to distract me from the sobbing outside.

Magazine… magazine…

Then I opened the one which I had in my bag, I noticed that three page list was still in there, so I skimmed through it lazily.

Kiss!

My eyes stopped, and I read further on that line.

15 points!?

Too bad he forgot all about that…

Still, my father had a point… If I have no confidence in myself, I'm never going to get anywhere…

Physically, I'm nothing special…

Mentally, I'm nothing special…

Frankly, I'm nothing special…

And being around amazing people who all have at least one thing that they're passionate about, my uncaring attitude and dullness comes out even more.

Nee-san said that that Weiss thing came because I'm depressed about something… could that be it?

That may be it… some days back, Nee-san called me out on how I look down on people, despite the fact that I have no grounds to stand on, and the reason I got so sad I could almost hear that thing was because I knew she was speaking the truth…

I am pretty despicable…

It's no wonder no one can like me, when I don't even like myself…

I turned up the volume on my phone even higher, and had a go at reading that magazine. That'd probably make me feel better…

Yet, every time I read Kanon-chan's name, or saw of another person's success, I could feel a slight spasm in my heart. Eventually, I gave up and just chucked it on the bed.

Isn't there something else in my bag I can read?

"Guaranteed Success: Places to Confess Your Love ~School Edition~"

Where did this even come from? Did Katsuragi give it to me at some time?

Actually… that's not all… there's also another one about the Akanemaru… I noticed the music from my phone had stopped before, so I turned on the TV. I didn't have much plans on watching it, though…

What's the time now, anyway? The crying did stop quite long ago…

10pm… eh… time sure flies when you don't do anything…

My life in a nutshell… a serving of 'nothing', with sides of 'I'm bored' and 'too lazy', all smothered with 'no talent', to be washed down with a glass of 'too many guys out of my league'.

I opened my phone, but it was dead. I guess I've been listening to too much music today.

It's alright that it's dead… I can't think of anyone who'd message me, anyway.

I know this Yuuta-kun plan was pretty much shot from this afternoon, but my mother was right… no rematch…

I'll call it quits here… this whole week has been rough on me…

* * *

_It was a dull white, just like how the real world has been lately. And to add to that, it was wet… grey rain came down._

_I was chatting with Yuuta-kun, till I pushed the present before him… Clearly, another confession…_

_Also, like it was in real life… he disappeared when I opened my eyes. Another name to add on my growing list of rejecters…_

_As I looked around for him, fruitlessly, someone else came behind me, under an umbrella…_

_Katsuragi… He always was different from those other guys…_

* * *

My eyes snapped open at some vibrating sound. My phone, which I'd left on charging all night, was blinking green.

I opened my messages, and to my surprise, I was from Otamega…

I quickly opened the subjectless message.

"Today's confession day… You should get here on time…"

Pretty standard… because he still thinks I'm still confessing today…

I should just go early and stop this insanity…

The sky seemed to be a hopeful white, but, seeing that it's me, I took an umbrella anyway… I can pretty much go over the edge whenever…

The walk to school was lonely. I tried to do stuff which I usually considered fun, but right now, it was nothing…

That cat didn't even react to me pulling faces at it… annoooying…

Though beyond the cat, I noticed a new banner at the convenience store. New meat buns!

That's one great thing about food… they don't expect anything from you, or make you sad… you just eat it…

"So what flavour is this?" I asked the lady at the baked goods section…

"You'll have to buy it to see, won't you?" she said mysteriously, "but trust me, it's so good, that next year, you'll be getting your boyfriend one of these for Valentine's Day."

In the end, I actually ended up buying two of them… If I see Katsuragi now, maybe that will alleviate the anger coming my way… It had absolutely zero to do with what that lady said…

As I was leaving, someone put an ad in my hand.

"Ichioshi… it opened this week by the station… be sure to check it out…"

Gaah! It looks so good! I just wanna skip school and go here…

Though it's kinda sad going alone… I should ask Ayumi or Miyako… or Katsuragi…

Still… I think explaining the whole Yuuta-kun thing would be easier if he was stuffed with food… people are less crabby with food in their stomachs anyway…

I shifted the bag to my left hand and pulled out a really crumpled sheet from my skirt pocket. It was the one Katsuragi had been tallying up Yuuta-kun's points.

Still, I only cared about the other side… I guess if I actually want to be friends, going to that restaurant would be a great idea… Plus, it's food! Who can say no to food?

Not to mention, since yesterday, I stopped giving a crap if anyone else saw me with him…

I bet that would be fun…

At school, I put my bag in class and headed to the roof. Most likely, Katsuragi was there…

Yep, I'm right… He's the one lying on that bench. I took a deep breath and folded the sheet back and put it back into my pocket. I really hope this works…

"Yo!" His eyes snapped open, before drifting to the bag in my hand, "the convenience store is selling these new meat buns."

He sat up, so I walked over and sat where his head was previously.

"You didn't run into Elsie?"

"Nope… why?"

"You're confessing today!"

"Well, more importantly, we should eat these while they're hot."

"Today is game day! I wrote you some lines, so study them well!" He held up his rough paper pad, with rows and rows of messy writing.

Yeah… it's like we're not even having a conversation… We're both steering the conversation wherever we damn well please…

"Hehe… Otoshigami-sama… Accept my offering…" I held out one of the meat buns. He gave me an angry look, but took it anyway… he's smart enough to know that I won't stop talking about food till I've eaten breakfast.

Luckily, that gives me about five minutes of peace… So I can think about how I can convince him to go out with me… for Chinese, dammit!

Except, I didn't account for the fact that he ate like a monster, so he was done before I'd even had two bites… He opened his mouth to continue, but I beat him.

"In front of the station, there's a Chinese restaurant, Ichioshi… Want to go there together today?"

Say yes say yes say yes… just please say yes… Chinese is yummy…

"Not a chance…"

Aww…

"Today, we're going to make your confession a success… Then the two of us will finish our project…"

I think I was the stupid one here… We're not even friends… Not to mention, I don't even know how much he remembers of the last three days… Bloody Weiss…

Fine then… let's finish this project now…

"I'm going to give up on this confession…" I tweaked my fringe, so at least I'd have a reason to not look him in the face.

I could almost hear a woosh of gloom and shock hit him in the face.

"If you think about it…" I couldn't stop the nervous laughter rising up my throat, "I don't think I really liked him at all…"

Still, I knew I looked like a complete bastard for making him do that work, then not using it… the least I could do is explain the situation…

Even if he can't reciprocate, at least he'll understand…

"So basically…" I looked away… "Let's move this into a−"

"Will you cut it out!" He screamed, and I jumped.

Wait, what was I going to tell him again?

"Cut it out!" his pad hit the ground, "What do you think people work hard for!?"

"What! I didn't force you to help me!" I screamed back… I hate people verbally attacking me.

"That's not the problem… Every person that I met was different, but everyone gave it their all!" I felt my head go back, because he was closing in…

"Won't you be just a little bit serious?"

It's funny… Had this been any other conversation, I'd be nervous, because he's so close… I wasn't even thinking of that. This wasn't the first time anyone's called me out on this… Still, this was the first time I was angry…

I wanted to defend myself, but no insults or witty comebacks came to mind…

"Fine… I don't have any talent… At first glance, I'm not cute… I can't shine like everyone else… Even if I'm serious, nothing happens!"

I stood up, and almost automatically, he backed away, looking shocked.

"Being carefree is fine! Move!" I then shoved him to the side and stalked off, with my half-eaten meat bun, and whatever was left of my dignity…

I know exactly why I couldn't fight… It's because I didn't disagree… I was just mad, because he was only serious about his games… It didn't stop him from being right.

For as long as I could remember, I'd always stop my brain from wandering off into negative territory. That's the reason I even started buying magazines… Reading uses enough of my brain that I stop dwelling…

Still, since I started randomly confessing, I've stopped dwelling in that… Now, I was doing something… If people were stars, I was finally reaching out for them and absorbing their light…

Still, it was a delicate balance… I've known with people like Ayumi, and Kanon-chan, that being around them too much just reminds me of how unremarkable I am…

Still, being with Katsuragi was soothing… He was the same brand of passionate I admired, but otherwise, still ordinary…

Hearing it from him… I am pretty pathetic…

Screw this! Screw Katsuragi! I despise his guts!

When I looked up, I noticed I was actually on the Akanemaru… I just hung my umbrella on the railings and called it quits…

I mean… there's nothing I can do now… A mob character like me should get pummeled by the waves of life, while everyone else is on surfboards, looking cool.

I wonder why the rain hasn't started yet… I think I'm feeling crappy enough…

Not that I'm complaining… it's nicer to have the wind in my hair than the rain….

I remember yesterday, I was thinking about regret… Strangely enough, I don't regret yesterday… At least that'll be a memory etched into my head… For once, I couldn't run away from it, so I told him, and that felt great… That just made the mood drop when he forgot a whole lot worse…

Still, I won't forget it… In fact, now that this affair has officially ended, it's a relief… I made some pretty good memories yesterday, but that's done…

No… I don't regret yesterday… I regret that day as a kid when I realized I'd never beat Ayumi… That was when I stopped trying for everything… If only I could turn back the clock to that time… Just save myself the grief…

It's difficult to change now… I may as well resign myself to being average…

"DON'T JUMP!" I heard.

Before I could react, I felt my feet leave the ground. Somehow, instead of falling like a normal person, my body kept rolling, until my back painfully introduced itself to the side of the upper deck.

Aah… that was sore… My eyes opened, and I realized who was opposite, and once again, too damn close.

"Wha-what!?" I flattened my skirt and scuttled back.

"I thought you were going to jump," Katsuragi replied seriously.

"Like hell I would!" I screamed back. That's just an insult to suicidal people… being linked to me.

I got up and walked up the stairs, trying to put as much distance between us as possible.

I don't get it. Why the hell is he here? I'm pretty sure me leaving was a good inclination that I didn't want to talk to him… How did he even know I came here?

"Why are you following me!?" I made some halfhearted shooing motion with my hand, "You don't like me, right?"

"What? Even though I came here because I was worried!"

I… was a little flattered by that… Even yesterday, he came after me… It's just bloody annoying! Still, why? Can't he just act mean and leave, so I can wallow in peace?

But if he's worried about me, he'd leave if I was fine, right? I'm just acting gloomy, so if I stop it, he'll leave.

"I said you didn't have to worry about someone like me!" I climbed onto the railing, so I could give him a good look of how perfectly perfect and energetic I am, so he'll go back to school.

"It's just like you said. I'm a half-assed girl. I already knew that!" I noticed he was paying attention, so I tried to ham up the cheerfulness.

"When it comes to school or appearance, I just don't stand out. No matter how hard I try, I'll always be average!" I tried to make a joke of it, but my words were pretty pathetic. I really should've changed the topic back to Ichioshi...

"You see… it's a waste of calories to live seriously," I swung my umbrella cheerfully.

"Don't lie…" I stopped in my step, "you're just in pain…"

Yeah… that went well, brain… if Katsuragi was a completely dense idiot.

I guess I've reached a new level of pathetic…

My eyes drifted up, and just as I suspected, that thought was the last straw that broke the camel's back… The heavens came down with a vengeance. I opened the latch on the umbrella.

"S-so you're saying that… I'm in pain!?" I held my umbrella in front of my face.

"Then why? If you weren't in love, why chase after a guy?" I opened my mouth, before closing it.

I'm pretty sure 'I'd never have a chance with you' is way too revealing an answer… And he's here to see that I'm alright… He'll never leave if he thinks I like him.

"It's like…" I turned my back to him, "I was longing after someone that shined…" a more acceptable answer… it's not like I can look anymore pathetic anyway.

"When I longed for him, I felt like I was shining along with him… But sometimes, I became an idiot…" the last line was barely above a whisper, but whatever…

"Jeez, what a humiliating person," his voice came right in my ear. My head snapped, and he was right next to me, using my umbrella… did he teleport!

"Don't come under here!" And stop getting so close.

"Nah, It's really started raining," he stuffed his hand into his pocket. As usual, he didn't care… what's new?

Well, I'm near certain I'd react like that as well…

"I actually thought we were alike…" I continued, "You didn't live in the real world, by escaping in your games… I thought that maybe you would understand how I feel…"

Still, as I watched him out of the corner of my eyes, gauging his reaction, I was certain he didn't get it… we were on different pages all the time.

"You absolutely don't!"

His head finally turned to face me.

"I really am depressed about the real world," he agreed, "but I'm not depressed about myself. Is my life boring… fun… ordinary… The one who decides it isn't the status quo. The one who decides that is me! If I wish for it, nothing is impossible!"

He pushed up his glasses again in his know-it-all way he does.

"Even for you," he continued, "If you wish for it, you can do it!" I frowned. He put it so easily, but it really isn't. I walked over to the little fishing boat docked there.

"Tha-that's a load of crap!" my voice shook. I really wish I could get into his philosophy, but he's just way too idealistic. It's many years of that slight cynicism to build me, and pretty words won't break that…

Why the Hell is he even trying so hard? He gains nothing other than making me uncomfortable and cracking my stubborn cheerfulness.

You know what! This is my boat now, and if he gets closer, I'm going to slog him.

"There are limits in the real world! If I really wish for it, do you think I can become an idol like Kanon-chan!?" I closed the umbrella, even though the rain hadn't let up at all. As I suspected, he started approaching the small steps on the boat.

"That's up to you, Chihiro!" I felt my face darken. The last time he called me that was yesterday, when I confessed. That's why slamming the umbrella in his face felt damn satisfying.

"Don't call me Chihiro!" once he was safely on his side, I continued.

"It's impossible!" I screamed.

His head appeared over the edge, so I grabbed the handle of my umbrella.

"Even I thought you were a commoner… but you… you are the most independent girl out there."

I lifted it back into swinging position, but Katsuragi just made himself more comfortable.

"Your bad mouth," HEY! "can't talk bad about an S-Rank… The only one who can knock me down that far is you."

What is he going on about!? It almost sounds like a compliment. Though why would he compliment me?

"Enough already," I whacked him, "I want to shine like that if I could!" I stopped hitting him when he grabbed my wrist. I couldn't even stop him as he invaded my safe spot.

"If you wish for it, then you can do it! It's just reality… You can make it easy!"

Please… just stop saying this stuff… I could feel my eyes wavering, as I tried to hold my ground, both in my brain and in real life. Can't I just hate you in peace?

"Wha-whatever I do, I'm… I'm just… just… A commoner!" I had my umbrella ready to bring down on his head, but I didn't need it.

Because I felt his lips on mine, just like yesterday.

Wha-what?

I fell back onto the rowboat seat, because my legs lost the last of their strength at that kiss. The umbrella also fell, because my hands slackened.

The rain stopped being so depressing, because the sun started coming out behind Katsuragi, giving his silhouette an almost angelic quality.

"You can… Whenever you lose faith, I will come and save you!"

"I can do it…" I repeated. My brain still wasn't working properly yet.

"Yeah…"

Well, he can't be certain about that, but he laid a pretty strong argument… Maybe I'll try out that guitar Chitose and Nee-san brought…

And if that doesn't work out, I'll just try something else…

And it's not like I'm alone… Katsuragi said he'd help, and then there's my friends and family…

'You know… You won't really need the rain to make you special…' the little voice in my heart muttered, before I felt the weight lifted off my heart. I guess that Weiss thing is gone now…

I guess I just had one more thing I wanted to do.

"Katsuragi!" I called. He was sitting on the steps of the boat now, "do you have a pen?"

He looked a bit shocked, but be brought out one from his pocket. I then made another 15 more tally lines on that sheet, plus three extra…

Seventy-seven, huh?

"What are you smiling about?"

"Nooothing…" I put the paper back into my blazer pocket, but pretty much, that smile was stuck on my face, "besides, you should do something about your glasses…"

"What's wrong with them?"

"The frames are too loose… you shouldn't need to push them up that much…" his expression, which had only been concern this whole time, went back to its usual sour self.

"Do we really have to start this already?" his voice was exasperated.

I love you too, Katsuragi…

"Yep…"

"Kami-nii-sama… they're here…"

Ellie? Where's she come from? Who's here?

I turned to where the voices were coming from, but some person was directly in front of me who flashed a bright blue light in front of me. That's all I remembered.

* * *

**Surprisingly, this actually fit in together better than I expected. It still did take two tries to write this chapter.**

**Anyway, all that's left is the epilogue... that's kind of a relief...**


	36. And so, the boredom ends

"Good Job, Nii-sama," Elsie congratulated her brother, "You should go back to school."

"Alright," he glanced at the KOd girl in the boat before pulling out his PFP.

He switched it on… and on… and on… and on and on and on…

It was no use. He had been in the rain way too long that his PFP had suffered water damage. He grumbled and stuffed it in his pocket. At least he had one in his school bag...

"Woah!" Elsie was impressed. She'd never seen her brother run so eagerly to school. Heck, he was out of sight before she could even blink.

"Elysia-san…" Elsie turned back, "Can I begin now?"

"Eeeh… You don't have to ask that every time, you know!?" She sighed. Irene was way more competent than Elsie, yet the former always waited for permission.

As Irene sat down next to the unconscious girl and started fiddling with her lemon yellow hogoromo. Elsie crouched down next to her and noted the silver, pen-like, device that was next to her.

"Irene-saan… did you always have this? I don't remember this…" she held up the pen. Irene automatically became fearful.

"Please put it down, Elysia-san…" she complied, "though you're right… I recently had this made… It matches a device from my favourite movie."

"Aaah!" Elsie got distracted from her previous instructions, and picked it up again, "what movie? How does this work!?" Irene's eyes widened as she noticed Elsie's hand approaching the button. She quickly covered her eyes with her hogoromo and a bright flash lit up the upper deck of the Akanemaru for the second time.

"Whaaaah!" Elsie fell back, her eyes definitely disorientated.

"Elysia-san… please refrain from touching my things," Elsie may have been nodding, but her head wasn't working quite right, "though if you must know, this just knocks humans unconscious so I can erase their memories."

Irene began work then… quickly locking into the girl's brain, all the while, keeping an eye out on how much energy she had to expend in the alteration of her memories… The power shortage in hell was a real bitch sometimes.

She couldn't help but hate Elsie's buddy… the guy always created memories that took the most amount of energy to remove… Still, she noted, as she glanced at the orange shark that was trapped in the confinement jar... that must be the sixth loose spirit Elsie's buddy has removed since April… What he does do definitely works…

Irene sighed… she'd only been in the memory alteration team for a year now, but she was really good at her job, so she always had to remove the memories that Elsie's buddy was responsible for. Each time, it was the same…

Meeting… friendship… boom… there's the kiss!

Honestly, she didn't even know why she had to remove those girl's memories… The loose spirit usually removed any memories of its existence when it left. It's because of the method that guy uses… If the girl's remembered him, they'd all still love him, which would make it a problem when he had to remove a spirit from another girl…

Still… she wasn't sure if it would be amusing or scary to imagine Elsie's buddy constantly being chased by girls… especially if they remembered that he had kissed them in the first place…

"Ireeene-saaan!" Elsie whined. She had snapped out of her stupor a bit, "Are you done yet?"

Irene's face turned a light pink. She'd been too busy thinking to even start editing those memories. She quickly brought up the memory interface up on her hogoromo.

That was one think Irene appreciated… everyone's interface was a little bit different… this particular girl had an inky-black background, where her memories were like little shiny stars that had to be touched to be brought out and viewed… It was simple, but nice to look at.

"So… for how long has this girl had a loose spirit?"

"Last week Monday… although the memories you'll need to remove started this Monday…" Irene blanched.

"So you're saying that for one week, you didn't do anything about the spirit?" Elsie pushed her forefingers against each other and looked away.

"Nii-sama refused to take her route…" her lips pursed, "it wasn't my fault…"

"Still… in that time, the loose spirit within her must have gotten quite strong…"

"Not reeaaally…" Elsie picked up her confinement jar, "it was really easy to capture it…"

"Really?" Irene took the jar out of Elsie's hands, "It kind of looks like a level three spirit…"

"That can't be right," Elsie snatched it back, "it didn't resist at all…"

"Maybe it didn't want to stay inside that girl anymore…" Irene laughed at her joke, but Elsie actually took it seriously. She started muttering and squeezing her own pink hogoromo.

Irene just left her to that and turned back to those girl's memories. She had a decent amount of memories from Monday, so she'd get nowhere at this pace… How do you bring the search bar, again?

She tapped the top of her hogoromo screen, and it appeared.

"Elysia-san…" Elsie turned around, "What's the name of your buddy, again?"

"Keima Katsuragi… though Chihiro-san calls him Otamega…"

"O-ta-me-ga," she said out loud as she typed it in. When it searched, all her other memories darkened, and the ones in question grew brighter. She skimmed through the dates on those memories…

Strange… only three of them were within the allotted dates…

Usually, the first memory was inconsequential, so she ignored that.

Irene touched the second block, which was based on the first Tuesday… the two of them were fighting. That was probably fine to leave like that… She left it like that.

She touched the third memory, and a scene from within that girl's brain started playing… She was kind of annoyed the part of the girl's fringe that appeared in her vision, but she forced herself to pay attention to what was happening.

That girl and Elsie's buddy were cleaning some classroom…

Alright… she just needed to edit out the guy… simple enough… but with who?

Irene watched the scene absently.

She then suddenly blushed when the girl pulled Katsuragi on her lap. She could feel the hogoroma grow warmer, and pulse, almost like it had a heartbeat…

She quickly glanced at the date on the internal footage… this was on the second Monday…

This wasn't the first time her hogoroma had done this, but it just seemed weird. The girls' Elsie dealt with only loved her buddy about one day before it ended…

It was early, right? And the last time they talked, they were fighting…

She quickly switched back to the previous memory and saw it through completely, and just like before, her hogoromo was pulsing… especially in the middle…

'Worried… what were you worried about?'

Irene had a very good idea where this was going… Still, hoping otherwise, she finally tried the first memory…

'Not at all! That real girl… There's absolutely no way I would even be concerned about her!'

And suddenly, she felt a wave of pity towards this girl she didn't know…

"Irene-saaan…" she quickly shut the memory, "look… it can talk…"

"What can talk?"

"The loose spirit…" in Elsie had her hogoromo positioned over the loose spirit, and lines of Hellish were coming into it, "apparently… it's a he…"

"How did you even do that!?" Irene shouted. Elsie shrugged… the hogoromo can do lots of stuff, and honestly, she couldn't even remember what she did. Irene wasn't in the mood… she had to deal with that girl's memories first.

"Why don't you see why it didn't try escaping?" Elsie did that instead, so Irene was left with that girl.

She quickly searched Katsuragi in her head, and found a couple more memories, all based around the past four days.

Trying to edit all these are bound to end up in disaster… she should just delete them all and put some random stuff in its place. That's what she did… one by one, she deleted all the memories, cringing more and more at each one...

No! She shook her head. The way he was treating her was way worse… her forgetting it all would be better for her…

GNNNNNNH! The shaking of her hogoromo surprised her. There was an abnormality…

This one memory just refused to delete. In fact, it just refused to open at all, like it had been locked.

Humans can't lock their memories away, so what was this? Could it have been that the loose spirit did this?

"Ireeene-saan," Elsie's voice broke her thoughts, "I found out why it let itself get captured so easily…"

"Why was that?" she turned around… she needed to find out what was wrong with that memory anyway…

"He's been using his powers overtime, so he was exhausted…"

"Oh… so what powers does he have?" All that came were a couple of ellipses… He didn't intend on replying.

"Fine… does he have something to do with that locked memory?" No reply… Elsie picked up her hogoromo, and by the looks of it, the loose spirit was pouting and folding its fins.

"What's the locked memory?" Elsie piped up.

"I can't view it or delete it, and it's dated back to yesterday, so it is something important…"

A loud tapping sound came, so Elsie quickly returned her hogoromo.

'What are you doing to Chihiro?'

"Nothing that concerns you… we're just returning her life to normal…"

'You new demons know shit… Having a snapback does nothing…'

Irene clutched her hands into a fist so hard that her orange hair quivered.

"You loose spirits just upset the balance of the world unnecessarily… Now unlock that memory so I can get rid if it…"

'Fat chance… You've already removed every fun memory she's had all week…'

"Why are you even doing this?"

'I…' the feed stopped for a few second, before continuing, 'I may have said it in jest, but I keep my promises… I'm not letting you get rid of that…'

"What are you even talking about!?" Elsie wailed. Why was she being left out? Not that it stopped her from being ignored anyway.

"Why are you so hell-bent on helping this girl?"

'Because she's a nice person… and I said I'd make it up to her, but I made it worse…'

"What's even−" her voice cut as more came out.

'She's endured his weird plans and gripes all week, and she finally did something that made her happy… You're not taking it…'

"Was it the kiss!?" Elsie said, but that quietened the whole conversation, "that's how Nii-sama finishes his conquests, after all…"

Irene pulled up Chihiro's memories again, but it wasn't as Elsie said. The particular memory, from less than half an hour ago, was accessible, and easy to delete. That's what she did, in fact…

"It's not that…" the loose spirit had nothing to input.

"Maybe you're over thinking it, Irene-san… If it was something important, Kami-nii-sama would have warned me."

"Fine… so I just remove everything else… and put some generic memories in its place?"

"Of course…" Irene cast a glare at the container, but the loose spirit seemed to have gone to sleep.

Irene continued as she usually would, but her thoughts went back to that unviewable memory… She hoped the contents weren't too worrisome, because it would just make all her work here completely pointless…

"Irene-san…"

"What!?" she turned back angrily.

Do you want some tea?" Elsie pulled out a thermos out of nowhere.

"Alright, why not?" Elsie poured out some for her in the lid. As she was leaning forward, the glass slipped, straight onto Irene's hogoromo, and Chihiro's head.

"Waaaah! Hot! Hot! Hot!"

Chihiro shot up, and Irene quickly snatched her hogoromo and hid herself.

"Did you just pour tea on my head?" Chihiro rubbed her hair, both wet from the rain and the tea.

"It was a mistaaaake," Elsie shook her hands, "you just passed out, so I poured you some tea…"

Chihiro took a deep breath to stop herself from making a sarcastic remark on how stupid giving tea to a unconscious person was…

She passed out?

"Oh, it's a Monkey's Wedding…" she noted. Still, despite the bright sun, some rain still fell.

"Monkey's Wedding?"

"Don't worry about that… we should probably to school… Do you know what the time is?"

"Oh… it's ten-past-eight…"

"We're late!" Chihiro got up and dusted her slightly wet skirt. Unknown to her eyes, the invisible Irene tapped Elsie's arm.

"Actually, you can go ahead, Chihiro-san… I'll catch up soon…"

"If you say so…" Chihiro gave her one last look before running towards the school… Even in sprint mode, it was at least ten minutes away…

"Elysia-san… one last thing before you go…" Elsie nodded, "you should keep an eye out on her…"

"Why… did something happen with her memories? Other than that irremovable one…"

"Well, she got up really fast, so I couldn't account for her whole time… But that isn't it… You have to make sure that girl doesn't make friends with your buddy?"

"Why?"

Irene scratched her hair. It really wasn't in her place to tell. Analogies work just as well.

"She's sick, and contagious… you should protect your buddy from her…"

"Chihiro-san is… sick?" Irene coughed.

"Yeah… you might not see it now, but she may get worse… it's for both of their sakes…"

"But… won't I get sick?"

"Idio− I mean demons… don't catch colds. So can I trust you… to protect your human allies?"

"Of course," Elsie gave her a solute, "I'll do my best…"

"Alright, that's all I had to say… I'll take the loose spirit back to Hell…" Elsie lifted off the ground.

"Thanks, Irene-san… I'll do my best for my friends…" Elsie flew away as well, leaving the rest to Irene.

Well, not that there was a lot left to do…

Still… Irene noted that Elsie had definitely grown since they were in school… To think she even could call humans her friends so easily…

With any luck, that Chihiro girl wouldn't be a problem… even if feelings exist outside memories, there's a definite link, and Irene had killed enough of those… even that last one… Elsie's tea probably made it murky…

Anything humans can't link to reality, they just write off as a dream anyway…

She collected her flash out light, energy canister, and loose spirit before heading back to Hell… she could go for a break now… She'd send someone to deal with Yuuta-kun, and the rest of Chihiro's friends later…

* * *

At school, everything was as it should be; Chihiro was yawning at her desk, Keima was playing a game on his new PFP and Elsie was watching Chihiro through the corner of her eyes.

Could Chihiro really be sick? Considering she's been out in the rain, it is possible…

Chihiro sneezed. Was someone thinking about her?

"Sensei!" Elsie stood up and picked her hand, "I think Chihiro-san is sick."

Chihiro blushed as Takahashi-sensei turned to her.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked her. She was about to nod, when she realised that Elsie had basically handed her a 'get-out-of-class-free' card… Lucky!

"Umm… It's just a little fever…" she replied, coughing a little for effect. It would be good for her if she could go to the Nurse's office and just sleep. She was a little tired…

"You better go to the Nurse's office," Chihiro fist pumped in her head, "do you want anyone to come with you?"

"It's alright… I'm not dizzy…"

Elsie was satisfied as Chihiro went to the nurse's office. She'd feel better after that, so Elsie wouldn't need to worry about Chihiro being contagious anymore.

Class went on as normal. Halfway through Japanese History, Keima got booted out of class, and his PFP confiscated… Nikaido-sensei was even stricter than the other teachers when it came to those PFPs…

Still, Keima had backups, so it was fine. He'd even pulled out the game cartridge, so he could continue Kimiko's route anyway. Man, she was such a cutie… he just couldn't leave her alone.

He'd just play on the roof, where no one would annoy him.

However, he stopped, when he noticed a familiar face through a window…

Chihiro… his last conquest, which he finished four hours ago…

Keima slapped his head for stopping, before continuing; determinedly looking at his screen, not thinking about Chihiro's sleeping face…

God, she was such an annoying girl… she had him chasing the wrong route all week before explaining what was really bothering her, which took a grand total of fifteen minutes to chase out the spirit…

This is exactly why 2D girls were the best… they do what the code says… They go on the path of least resistance…

Still, he may have also been at fault for stubbornly sticking to the plan…

No! The plan is always best!

Keima loosened his death grip on his PFP and walked to the stairwell leading to the roof…

Still… what was up with that smile? Can paper even make someone that happy?

Keima stopped again, when a horrible thought came to his head. Because she forgot all about what happened, all those papers he gave her to prepare for her confession may make her suspicious… or worse… it'll jog her memories…

He'd better remind Elsie to get rid of all of those…

Still… Elsie wouldn't be able to get rid of a paper that was in Chihiro's pocket. That may be a big problem…

He backtracked to the Nurse's office and looked in. Chihiro had taken off her blazer and put it on the chair. And she was asleep…

Now is the best time to remove that paper, before it poses a problem…

He silently opened the door… while the other bed was occupied, the boy in there asleep as well… And the nurse wasn't in either...

Alright, this will be quick… take the paper and go…

He snuck in and quickly felt the pockets… He went for the fuller pocket.

Phone… pocket tissues… some white thing… the memo pad paper, folded in half…

This was what had induced that totally adorable smile…

He unfolded it.

Keima wasn't really sure what he was expecting, but it definitely wasn't tally marks…

There wasn't even a heading or any explanation…

Trust real girls to be so unorganised…

He flipped paper over.

"Put that down right now, or I'm waking her up…" a threatening whisper came behind Keima. Whoever had been in the other bed had woken up. Keima turned around stiffly.

"What were you doing with Kosaka-san's jacket?"

"I… uhh… I was…" Katsuragi nervously flattened his fringe. The boy scratched the bandage on his head.

"A-are you… Katsuragi?"

Keima's eyebrow went up.

"How do you know that?"

"The school president knows everything…" suddenly, his eyes got crafty, "Let me guess… you were going to slip a note in her pocket…"

"No… I was…" Keima dug his hands into his trouser pockets to put the folded note away, only to feel a sort, unfamiliar object. It was a stress ball, with an 'I' on it.

"Well, it's none of my business what you're doing here, but at least put all the stuff you pulled out back…" the president lifted himself to a sitting position, cringing slightly as he did it. Keima felt his face turn a little bit pinker. He turned back to the chair where he'd left the blazer and the few other things he'd pulled out.

"You're going to tell her, aren't you?"

"As much as I'd like to, I won't…" Keima sighed, "As long as you don't take anything of hers, I don't see the point…"

"Much appreciated, Prez…"

"More importantly, I have to say… you have guts handling that…"

"Handling what?"

"The white thingy…"

"Oh, this thing…" he picked it up, "I'm not sure what it is, but whatever…"

"Err… Then it's probably best that you don't know…" Keima snorted…

"I've played Eroge… there's nothing you can say to surprise me…"

"Really?"

"Yeah…"

"Then you know that thing is called a tamp−"

"Aagh!"

The particular object went flying, all the way to the President's lap…

"Put it back!" The Prez threw it back, leading to a twenty second long game of hot potato, instead of someone being smart and just putting it back into Chihiro's jacket.

"What are you guys doing?" Chihiro's clear voice cut into the slight yelping. Both boys froze, and the bullet-shaped object fell to the ground.

"We're putting it back, I swear!" the President waved his hands, but Chihiro wasn't looking at him.

"Alright… don't forget to put the ducks away as well…"

The two boys were dead still, as Chihiro turned over. In fact, she probably hadn't even woken up in the first place…

"Was… she sleep talking?" Keima asked, his ears a bright pink… almost identical to the other boy's.

"I don't know… All I know is that this exchange didn't happen… Just put that damn thing away…"

Keima took a deep breath once he had left the room…

Still, as bad as it was, the school president seemed to be a genuinely nice guy… not to mention, it would be for both of their good that Chihiro didn't know he was there… Yeah, he wouldn't tell…

At least the evidence was in his pocket now…

He reached into his pocket, but all he could feel was that stress ball. He felt everywhere else.

Damn! It's on the floor… inside the Nurse's office…

Far away, a shaggy dog howled. Keima chucked the ball hard against the wall in frustration.

* * *

"We should visit Chihiro," Ayumi said at lunch, unwrapping her Omelette-soba sandwich.

"Hmm… when I went to the bathroom, I noticed she was asleep…" Miyako added. That only made Ayumi's smile bigger.

"Then we should definitely visit her."

"Aren't you worried about getting sick?" Elsie asked, "What happened to your hand, Miyako-san?"

Miyako blushed. She looked at her bandaged right hand.

"Stuff happened… It should be fine soon enough…"

"Will you be able to run in the meet on Monday? Ayumi asked.

"With any luck… it's not like my wrist is twisted… it's just a bad scrape…"

"Was the bandage necessary then?"

"M-more importantly, weren't we going to see Chihiro?"

"Hell yeah… A sleeping Chihiro is hilarious!" Ayumi said, getting more and more excited by the thought.

"What does she do?"

"Heh… you'll see…"

When the three girls arrived, Chihiro was still asleep. Ayumi rubbed her hands gleefully.

"Oi, you know there's someone else here…" Miyako added, looking at the other bed, whose occupant waved. Ayumi wasn't going to be distracted, though.

"Chihiroo… Chihirooo…" Ayumi crouched by her head. Usually a few calls did the trick.

"Where's the fire, Ayumi?" Chihiro replied, her eyes not opening.

"There's no fire… there's just some homework you didn't do…"

"Get the unicorn… he'll save the forest…"

The other girls, who had piped down so they could listen to the conversation, were squeezing their lips shut so they didn't laugh. Even the School President had a smile on his face…

"Chihiro talks in her sleep," Ayumi explained, "and usually, it makes no sense…"

"Chihiro-saan… The unicorn is a little busy…" Elsie added.

"Fiine… get me my robe… I'll do it…"

They choked down Chihiro's perfectly serious answer.

"And no one get in my way, or you'll get your ass kicked!"

Maybe it was just the fact that Chihiro was talking just as normally as if she was awake, but she was particularly amusing…

"You guys should ask her something…"

"Chihiro… When will you wake up?" Miyako asked.

"Five more minutes, Mum…"

"How do you fit an elephant into the fridge?"

"I dunno… you just open the fridge and stuff it inside…"

"Can I ask too?" The girls turned around, to face the boy, "What? It looks like fun…"

"If there's a knight and a knave guarding two doors which'll lead you to your doom, or to safety, what would you ask them?"

All three girls' eyebrow rose at the complexity of the riddle.

"Where's the toilet?"

All four teenagers choked, before cracking up properly.

"I got one…" Ayumi lifted a finger, "who do you like?"

The laughter stopped.

"Otamega…"

Both Ayumi's and Elsie's head tilted to the side, and Miyako and the President held their breaths.

"Then there's also Gyuu-kun and Umiko… and I also like the Prez…"

Then, they started laughing again, with the President doing so more out of relief. Considering the shock on the other girls' faces, they probably didn't know that Chihiro's first answer had been right.

"Man, Chihiro likes everyone…" Miyako shook her head…

"Well, that is her subconscious speaking, so probably not…"

"I'm more surprised Chihiro knows who the school president even is…"

"Yeah, even during the Entrance Ceremony, he barely said anything…"

"Come on, I said plenty…" the girls stiffly looked up

"Y-you're the P-prez?" Ayumi stuttered out. The boy nodded, almost smugly.

"Quiet down, will you?" Chihiro's voice came again, more sleepy sounding than before. The other girls just shrugged it of, but Ayumi's face told it all… Chihiro was awake this time. Her voice was a lot more alert when she was asleep.

"What are you guys even doing here?"

"W-we came to see if you were better, Chihiro-san," the other two girls nodded.

"We were going to leave, but then we started talking with this guy, who's apparently the Prez…"

"I wasn't actually sick, you know… I was just really tired…"

"Oooh, because of th−" Miyako cut of her thoughts… she knew that the other three didn't link the last two weeks of rain to Chihiro… Still, it makes sense that she'd be exhausted from the Weiss…

She flexed her bandaged up hand… At least that's over… and finally, she's shut up…

"So how did you sleep?"

"Alright, I guess… I had a dream I was saving the world with a unicorn, but I got squished by an elephant I was stuffing in the fridge…"

"That's… normal…"

"Oh… so you say your dreams out loud…" Elsie inferred, the other two girls shot her warning looks, but she continued, oblivious, "you were telling us about the unicorn…"

"Was I talking in my sleep?"

"A little bit…"

Chihiro felt her face heat up. The first part of her dream was pretty weird, but the second half… she'd never admit to anyone… if she was awake…

"I'm going to get you guys…" Chihiro hid her embarrassment behind her rage.

"Run away!" Ayumi shouted before dragging Miyako and Elsie with her. The president just rolled his eyes as Chihiro started chasing after them in the corridor.

Still… Chihiro seemed much happier since when he last saw her… She seemed more animated and free today…

He had no clue what made that difference, but it may have had to do with the guy who was snooping through her blazer...

That was kind of adorable… how nervous he had gotten because he'd been caught… no matter how you thought about it, Katsuragi did seem to care about Chihiro… at least a little bit.

Yep… President Yuki Fuyuhara would have fun shipping those two… it would be easier than trying to face his own problems…

* * *

Meanwhile…

The school nurse was outside, enjoying a cigarette and the sun…

"Sensei…" she waved the student off. It didn't stop said student from continuing, "I tripped on this ball and cut my arm. Can I get bandages?"

"Just get from the nurse's office," she shrugged.

"But don't you need to disinfect it?" she showed the gash, which was pretty deep.

"There will be some disinfectant there," she blew some smoke, which the girl had to tilt to avoid getting a face full.

"Fine…" the girl stalked off, "You suck!"

With a throw much harder than one would expect from a small girl with an injured arm, she hit the teacher dead on with the stress ball she'd tripped on.

* * *

Chihiro was leaning on her class balcony after chasing her friends for a good five minutes… That was just a good reminder on how unfit she was. She literally looked like she was hung out to dry.

"Ne… Chiro-chan…" Chihiro somehow got the energy to turn her head, "what were you doing?"

"Err… I was playing as hard as I could…" Hiroko smiled.

"That's not a bad thing… You had fun, didn't you?"

"Yeah… I haven't run all out in ages…"

The two of them stood (or in Chihiro's case, hung on the rails), as the wind ruffled their hair.

"Mappy-chan… What do you think makes school boring?"

"Hmm… I'd say everything is a little bit boring…"

"Everything?"

"Yeah… school is only interesting if you make it interesting…"

"I guess… That makes sense… I disagree with you though…"

"How so?"

"School is tedious… it's just something small which breaks through the tedium…"

"Oh… so what do you consider that small thing?"

Chihiro stopped lazing, and pushed herself up…

"I guess… Once I started appreciating the people and the small things around me, the world wasn't that bad…"

"Like friends and stuff…"

"I've had friends… I guess, once I realised that I'm not actually alone, it stopped being so mindnumbingly boring…"

"Though you know… you can't rely on friends for everything…"

"I know that… I'll have to try a little harder too…"

Chihiro swung herself around.

"Which reminds me… wanna go eat Chinese today?"

"Sounds like fun…"

During the last period, Chihiro could feel her brain running off into dreamland.

* * *

_The whole world was blank, like a sheet of paper._

_Still, I had my bike, and my somewhat involuntary chauffer, who was on the driver's seat…_

"_Lemme have a go…"I tapped his shoulder. A smile graced Katsuragi's face._

"_Go for it!" He climbed off the seat, while I went onto the cushiony front. He stepped back._

"_Aren't you coming?" He shook his head before pulling out his PFP._

"_Nah… you don't need me… I'll see you some other time…"_

_I nodded, and kicked off, unafraid._

* * *

**After 7 months and 2 days from when the first chapter was posted, I am now complete with my first ever multi-chapter fanfiction.**

**Honestly, it's actually thanks to you guys I got this far, because I'm the type of person who loses interest super fast.**

**To my 56 reviewers, 25 favourites and 38 followers (of which one only started following yesterday)...**

**Thank you so much...**

**In any case, I'm turning 20 tomorrow, so I'm glad this was finished before then...**

**Unfortunately, exams are right on my head, so I'll only start the sequel in December... with any luck though, I'll update some of my other stories before then...**

**Still, if there's anyone who deserves a thanks, it's everyone who took the time to read this story... You've endured many of my mood flips and weird creative licenses, so you deserve a prize for that.**

**I'll continue working my hardest, so you guys must as well.**

**Mata ne... **


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